


Only You

by CQueen



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Fix-It, M/M, Reincarnation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-08
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-14 09:01:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 37
Words: 112,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29914545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CQueen/pseuds/CQueen
Summary: One choice can change everything.  No one knows that better that Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald.When both men have the chance at reincarnation, a chance to live a life they can be proud of, they take it.  Neither expecting to run into the man who altered their very existence reborn and in their lives once more.  Their love shaped every choice and damned them both, and now they're back where they started, young men with their lives ahead of them...but this time it's not just the two of them.  This time Albus has his namesake, Al Severus Potter on his side.  And Gellert...well he's got people too, whether he wants them around or not.Will this time be different?  And more importantly, can they find the happiness they missed out on before.
Relationships: Albus Dumbledore/Gellert Grindelwald, Scorpius Malfoy/Albus Severus Potter
Comments: 37
Kudos: 18





	1. Life Altering Decisions

Disclaimer: As always I own nothing but the original characters and the situations all the characters end up in. Everything else belongs to somebody else and that's just the way the lawyers say it has to be. Thanks so much for reading, hope you review and let me know what you think!

Life Altering Decision

Everyone's idea of what constitutes heaven differs. When Albus Dumbledore died he saw, in the place some called heaven, his family, the people he'd hoped to see when he'd sealed his fate by slipping on the cursed ring. All his planned apologies, the countless speeches he'd written in his head had died in his throat, but they had understood. They had told him there was nothing to forgive. Love, as he'd always tried to teach others, was stronger than any other force. The greatest of magic.

Forgiving himself was another matter.

That the one he loved most was not with him weighed even heavier on him. For how could it be heaven, if the man he'd loved all his life was not with him. Would continue to forever be out of his reach.

It was this that drove the wizard from heaven, requesting to be reborn back into the world he'd left behind. A chance to live a life without constant grief and haunting shadows. A chance to become the man he'd always wanted to be. And perhaps, if he was lucky, a chance to love and be loved the way he'd always longed for. A chance to finally let go of his love for Gellert once and for all. And so Albus Dumbledore returned to his past world, reborn as Albus Wimbledon.

)

And he didn't regret his choice for a minute, Albus thought to himself as he leaned his head against the trunk of an old oak tree. He had returned to the living world with his most important memories still intact, a fail safe of sorts. Little things, everyday stuff had faded, but the events that had most shaped his past life were still crystal clear in his mind. They had shaped him in this life so that he was, much to his relief, a better man than he'd been at four times his current age. And if he ever began to think otherwise, he now had someone to tell him differently.

That person was currently lying nearby, soaking up the sun that would have turned Albus's skin as red as his hair. His namesake didn't have that problem, the young man's skin a tanned golden brown from his time outdoors. Albus Severus Potter. Named for him by the closest thing Albus had ever had to a son. And in this life time, Harry Potter's youngest son was his closest and best friend. They would be going into their final year of school in a month's time, both Gryffindors who'd roomed together since their first year. They were even affectionately known as the Albus twins, due to their identical first names and the fact that they were rarely separated. Two peas in a pod, as Molly Weasley liked to say.

"It wouldn't kill you to get some sun. You're almost as white as Nearly Headless Nick."

Called out of his wool gathering by Al's voice Albus's gaze returned to his friend, who had sat up and put his shirt back on.

"The sun hates me, remember?" Albus replied, a small smile on his lips. His was a scholarly face, long and fine boned. His dark red hair went all the way to his waist, though it was always braided for convenience. His eyes were sky blue, covered by fashionable glasses Al's Veela cousins had forced him to buy the last time his glasses broke. He was very tall and thin, with skin, as Al had just pointed out, as pale as milk. He looked much like he had in the past, the resemblance to his former self explained by the fact that he'd been born to a couple distantly related to his former self.

Al looked like his father, though he wore his raven black hair longer than Harry ever had. Al's hair was shaggy and layered, the longest strands ending half way down his neck. Intelligent green were just visible under the long bangs, and went well with his toned, runner's build. Al was definitely the looks in their duo, Albus thought with a small smirk.

Though they were both gay there had never been anything between them. They'd tried a kiss only once in their fifth year and had spent the next half an hour laughing their fool asses off at how little chemistry they had. And though their relatives held hope that they would become more Albus and Al were content to be friends only. Albus had dated no one seriously as yet, his fears of dating apparently having been carried over into his next life. Al had had only one serious relationship, and that had blown up in his face. A relationship between a Potter and a Malfoy was doomed, but Al had risked the odds and fallen hard for Scorpius Malfoy. The love had not been returned to the same degree and Scorpius had transferred to Durmstrang at the end of their fifth year.

And good riddens as far as Albus was concerned.

"Wonder who that is." Al murmured, pointing to the figure of a lone man making his way up The Burrow's laneway. "Do you recognize him?"

Squinting behind his glasses Albus raised an eyebrow. "It looks like the Headmaster."

Sharing surprised looks the two young men got to their feet, brushing off any debris they might have collected. Together they walked out to meet the man, who was indeed their Headmaster.

"Hello, Boys." The Headmaster greeted them, pleased to see two of his best students looking hale and hearty as they returned his greetings. Albus Wimbledon was one of the best students to ever pass through the halls of Hogwarts, some said even as great as Albus Dumbledore. Albus Potter was forth in his year and as charismatic as he was brilliant. Which was exactly why he'd come to see them, though he was loath to part with them even for a few months.

"What brings you here, Headmaster? Would you like to come inside for a drink?" Al asked as he shook the Headmaster's hand.

"No, no, I'm afraid I can't stay long. Thanks to…well a decision made by the Ministry…I'm a little pressed for time at the moment. So much to organize and plan in a month you see. It's actually quite handy that Mr. Wimbledon is visiting you, Mr. Potter. Can talk to you both at once. I actually just left your cousin, Dominique Weasley's house."

"Oh?"

"Yes. You see, you two, the Ministry has decided that there should be more interaction between the three wizarding schools, Hogwarts, Durmstrang and Beauxbatons. Of course nobody wants to go through what happened last time, with the Triwizarding Tournament, so an alternate meeting of schools had to be devised. What has been decided is that four seventh year students from every school will, for the first half of the school year, be exchange students at the other schools. Two students each. Your cousin, Mr. Potter, will be one of our exchange students going to Beauxbatons. I hope you two will consider being the two to go to Durmstrang."

"Us?" Albus repeated, casting a weary look in Al's direction. Albus didn't have to be a mind reader to know exactly what his friend was thinking. Scorpius Malfoy would be there.

"Yes. The committee thought that given your excellent grades you are both capable of catching up and adapting to the changes in coursework that would no doubt occur during your time there and when you return. You won't miss graduating from Hogwarts of course and the committee is offering financial incentives for those who participate. Since it looked as though we would be repeating the Triwizard Tournament up until last week the thousand galleons was already raised. That prize money will be divided equally between all the students willing to enter the program."

Immediately seeing dollar signs Albus quickly did the math. The family he'd been born into wasn't poor, but he didn't want to be a financial burden on them either once he graduated. His share of the pot would be a very comfortable nest egg to build off of.

"How long do we have to decide?" Al asked quietly, too quietly.

Picking up on it immediately Albus looked to his friend and knew he wouldn't be going anywhere. Al would never go to Durmstrang because of Malfoy and Albus would not go off to the school without him. He too would have ghosts of the past to deal with at the school, though not living ones, thank Merlin. But it was still Gellert's former school, and he had never liked going there the few times he'd visited in the past.

"I need to know by the end of the week."

)

Al was very quiet for the rest of the day and Albus left him to his silent thoughts, inwardly wondering why Al was even thinking about it. The answer was clear enough to him and Al had to know he wouldn't go without him.

It was just before bedtime, with the two comfortable settled in their beds, that Al dropped his bomb.

"I think we should go to Durmstrang."

Sitting up in bed Albus blinked at Al owlishly, his shock written all over his face. "What?"

"I know you could use the money and that you won't go without me. I don't want to mess that up for you. And he's there, Albus. He'll be there and…I think I need to see him again. I think I need to be around him and face the fact that he's never going to change. That he's moved on without me. And I need to prove to myself that I can be around him and not fall apart. The last time I saw him I begged him not to leave me, Albus. I begged, for Merlin sake. I need to know I'm better than that now. I need to face him as a man. Do you get that?"

"I do." Was Albus's soft reply. "And I'll do whatever I can to help you. But are you sure you can bear to be stuck there with him for five months? I mean after you give him the brush off. "

"We'll find out I guess." Trying for a lighter note Al winked in his friend's direction, working up a smile. "And hey, maybe you'll find yourself a good looking Russian while we're there."

The grin quickly faded from Al's face however as he recalled that Albus had already had a relationship with a student of Dumstang. One that had left his best friend even more emotionally scarred than Scorpius had left him. At least his ex hadn't yet tried to take over the world and enslave the Muggle race. Scorpius would probably consider that too much work.

Understanding Albus made himself smile. "Maybe I will."

Al knew about his past life, his best friend was the only one he'd ever told. Of course there were people alive who'd known him from his past life and could be convinced, but Albus didn't want to be remembered and compared to who he had been. Harry was the only other person Albus had ever considered telling, but had as yet chosen not to confine in him.

"We'll keep each other away from the dark wizards of Durmstrang, deal?" Albus finally said, knowing that once Al made up his mind it was pointless to argue.

"Deal." Albus agreed.

)

A Month Later

Absently drumming his fingers of the wooden table Scorpius Malfoy paid little attention to the speech his Headmaster was making, already knowing about the exchange program. They'd actually been stupid enough to approach him about going to Beauxbatons, since he'd already been a student at Hogwarts. As if he'd ever want to go there. Or to Hogwarts.

"Quit it."

Looking over Scorpius stopped his tapping, knowing better than to irritate his closest friend and roommate. Gellert Stalanski was not someone anyone wanted to piss off. He was just nervous, wondering who from his old school would be coming, Scorpius thought as he ran a nervous hand through his short, white blonde hair. Al would never come of course, and Al's annoying little shadow would never come if Al didn't. And just thinking about Albus Wimbledon was enough to kill any appetite Scorpius might have previously had. The two's closeness had always driven him crazy, even when he and Al had been together. His dislike had not lessened with time.

"So without further adieu let me introduce you to our new students. Make them welcome." The Headmaster added in a tone that suggested dire consequences for those who did not.

The far doors opened on cue and four students made their way slowly into Durmstrang's Great Hall. They had all been given Durmstrang uniforms; more to keep them warm than because their own uniforms would set them apart from the others. The girl from Beauxbatons was thinking of leaving due to the ugliness of the uniform alone. They walked up towards the front of the room together, three boys and one girl.

Looking over from his seat Scorpius felt all the air leave his lungs as his grey eyes zeroed in on the one person he had hoped never to run into again. Al. Al was here. It shouldn't be possible, but he would know that face, that form anywhere. Al had come to Durmstrang.

Curious as to the reason for the look on Scorpius's face Gellert lazily turned his head to get a look at the four exchange students. Brown eyes passing over the girl, who seemed to be nervously clenching the hand of the boy walking beside her, Gellert's gaze paused as they recognized the next boy as Albus Potter. The resemblance to Harry Potter was too striking to be coincidence. Albus's protégé, Gellert thought with a disparaging smirk. So they'd sent the Chosen One's Golden Boy as good will ambassador. Typical government thinking. Assuming that Potter was the reason for Scorpius's agitation, since Potters and Malfoys were said never to get along, Gellert almost didn't even bother to glance at the final boy walking on Potter's other side.

But he did. And he saw. And he recognized.

Albus. Albus Dumbledore. For that was who walked between the tables in that familiar, somewhat coltish way, so unique to him alone. Transported back into memories of a different time and life Gellert remembered vividly the first time he'd laid eyes on the only man he'd ever thought of as his equal. The only person who's wellbeing had ever remotely mattered to him.

Albus had been almost eighteen, he just seventeen, their eyes meeting over the tombstones of the dead. He'd been in search of the grave of Ignotus Pervrell, Albus there to place flowers upon his mother's grave. That they would first meet in such a place had always struck Gellert as having foreshadowed what was to come between them. And he did remember it all, every moment spent with the man who would be called the greatest wizard of the twentieth century. Those were memories Gellert had etched into his brain, the ones he had relived over and over again in his cell at Nurmengard. He'd held tightly onto those memories in his second life to remind him always the price there was to be paid for hope and dreams. To want and need anything or anyone. No one had ever been closer to him than Albus Dumbledore, and Gellert had spent the rest of his life after that summer cursing the man for making him think, even for a moment, that there might be more to life than the revolution he'd envisioned.

Albus was to have been his partner, his companion, the one person he would always be able to trust and depend on. But Albus had chosen family over him. His words of love and devotion revealed to be false. To be fair his own words of love had been just as empty, Gellert acknowledged, for what was love but an excuse for one's stupidity. And while stupid was not a word anyone would normally associate with Albus Dumbledore, in love Albus had been the greatest of fools. 'Love' had not stopped Albus from neglecting Ariana and Aberforth. 'Love' had not stopped Albus from getting into a duel that had lead to the death of his sister. And 'Love' had not been enough to make Albus give up everything for the man he's sworn to love forever. They said the fool went to his grave still believing in it.

But could it be that Albus had been reborn as he had been reborn, Gellert wondered, his eyes thoughtful. But why would that be? Shouldn't the little goody two shoes be up in heaven, accepting his dues for having lived such an exemplary life? But if it was…if it could be him…well that would be a most interesting development indeed, Gellert mused, his eyes never leaving the other man as the redhead stood up at the front with the others.

Listening as the four were introduced Gellert had his answer when he heard the redhead's first name. Yes, it was him. Gellert didn't believe in coincidences this pointed. It was Albus.

And they had unfinished business.


	2. A New First Meeting

Special Note: The war crimes, nickname, etc that I attribute to Gellert are a product of my own imagination and should not be considered canon. Though they will be steeped in actual Muggle history I have no idea if Rowling's timeline choice was deliberate or not.

A New First Meeting

Gellert never took his eyes off Albus as the Headmaster droned on a little more before telling the exchange students to take seats. Albus and Potter moved together to take seats beside a girl who apparently had been saving the spots for them. She obviously knew them, and Gellert recognized her as the daughter of the international Quidditch player Victor Krum, Nikolette.

Thankfully the table they were sitting at was close enough for him to observe but not call attention to his interest. Ignoring the food that appeared in front of him Gellert had eyes only for two. They were certainly close, Gellert noted, watching the Potter boy and Albus fill their plates and each others, apparently knowing what the other would and would not eat. There was an ease about them, a sense of unity that was visible even from a distance. Close friends or lovers though? That was what interested him the most. Body language from this distance told him nothing, and they could just be being discreet. He knew they were both gay after all. He knew intimately that Albus was, and there had been a large media frenzy a year and a half ago when pictures of Albus Potter kissing a man had appeared in all the Wizarding tabloids. That Harry Potter, the boy's father, had stood beside his son and freely admitted to his son's sexuality had impressed Gellert and had done a lot to lessen the shock waves. If the Chosen One was okay with it then no one else wanted to openly admit that they weren't. Not that things had been as bad then as they'd been when he and Albus had been their present age but still, the homosexual and transgendered people of the Wizarding World certainly loved the Chosen One for making that one statement that had had everyone rethinking their longstanding beliefs on the subject.

He needed more information, and just his luck, he was sitting beside someone who would know them both. Turning his attention to Scorpius Gellert raised an eyebrow upon seeing that Scorpius had been imitating him without his knowledge. There was no food on his roommate's plate and the man's eyes stared over at the same table and the same two men. Interesting.

"Malfoy." Gellert waited until Scorpius turned his head before continuing. "What do you know about the redhead sitting beside Potter?"

"Wimbledon?" Scorpius sneered, venom dripping with that one word. "What about him?"

"What can you tell me about him?" Gellert returned, getting the distinct impression that Scorpius didn't like Albus. But that hadn't been hatred in the other man's grey eyes as he'd watched the two. The two. Light dawning Gellert slide a covert look in the direction of the other table once more. Scorpius hadn't been looking at Albus but at the man sitting beside Albus. That was who held Malfoy's interest. And wasn't that interesting.

"Wimbledon is a know-it-all teacher's pet." Scorpius informed him, drawing Gellert's attention back to the conversation. "All brains and no brawn. He's Potter's shadow, you never see one without the other. They're practically joined at the hip. Best friends." He added, though Gellert plainly heard the doubt in those two words.

Hmm, so Malfoy and Potter had a history and Albus had come between them? And there was definitely history between the two, Gellert could hear it in the other man's voice. You weren't that emotionally involved unless there had been, at some time, some sort of actual connection. He'd think about how he could use that later.

"Does he have a large family like Potter?" Gellert asked, hoping that this time around Albus was an only child. The less ties his former companion had to anyone the better.

"He's an only child, his parents are older. His father is a retired Auror and his mother worked at St. Mungo's as a healer I think. The Potter/Weasley clan consider him one of theirs though. He's invited to all their family gatherings and holiday trips. They're always together."

Figures. Two siblings had been bad enough, now Albus had to have a whole clan? Things never went his way when it came to the skinny redhead.

"Why do you want to know about him?" Scorpius asked, finally seeing through his hazy of jealousy long enough to wonder why Gellert would have any interest in Wimbledon.

"I think I might know him."

"Oh. Well my advice would be to start studying if you want to stay first in our year. He's as smart as he is annoying."

And sick of talking about Wimbledon Scorpius forced himself to load up his plate and start eating. He did not want to think about his past history with Albus Wimbledon. That would mean thinking about his past history with Albus Potter, which haunted him enough as it was.

)

Letting himself be dismissed Gellert turned his attention to plotting his course of action. Now he supposed that most reasonably intelligent people would think he would want revenge against Albus for beating him and seeing him imprisoned for a good half a century. It was a logical enough assumption, especially since there were few people whose minds were twisted enough to understand his. In actual fact he bore Albus no grudge for any of that. That had just been business. He was not a sore loser and respected Albus for coming after him, even though it had taken the man a lot longer than he'd thought it would. All actions, particularly ones frowned upon by society had consequences. He'd always known failure, death or imprisonment were good possibilities. That he'd been brought down only by Albus was actually somewhat of a comfort to him. He'd have never lived down being beaten by someone inferior to him and Albus had always been his only equal.

He would seek out Albus not for revenge but because Albus represented what was missing in his present life. These past seventeen years of his new life had been meaningless, without any direction or purpose. He was not a man accustom to this. In his past life he had known from birth why he had been brought into the world. His parents had made sure of that. He had grown into a man with only one objective and goal in life. Bringing about the downfall of the Muggle race. He'd studied, trained and schemed for that alone, it had been his entire existence up until seventeen. At seventeen he'd found himself deviating from that one thing, discovering two new pursuits that were not a duty or responsibility but which called to him just as strongly.

The first had been the quest for the Deathly Hollows. The wand and stone had become a passion for him, a foreign feeling as he'd never been passionate about anything. But the way the treasure hunt had challenged him mentally had ensnared him, driving him to forgo his plans for a summer of searching. It was through his searching that he'd found the third. Albus. Albus Dumbledore, the man he'd assumed could not exist. He'd always felt alone, apart from everyone else. No one had his intelligence, could keep up with his thought processes and ideas. No one till Albus, and that had been like a drug. He'd become addicted, hadn't been able to stay away. He had formed a bond with another human being for the first time in his life, and been so enamored he hadn't cared. Hadn't remembered how dangerous such bonds were said to be.

That bond had costed him dearly, but it didn't change the fact that Albus remained the only passion he had left worth pursuing. He had no interest in subjugating the Muggle race anymore, and the Deathly Hollows was a case of been there, done that, got the Elder Wand. Plus the Chosen One was said to have had had all three, which negating the thrill of being the one to finally unite them. That left Albus. He knew better now, Gellert assured himself, had spent a great many years in his cell rethinking how he should have handled his relationship with the other man. This time around things would be just as they'd been that summer with one difference. There would be no trust on his side. He would not let Albus make him think he was special to him again. He would have Albus's mind and body and give the same, but he would not trust, and he would not assume, even for a moment, that Albus wasn't capable of turning on him again.

Now he just had to figure out how to trap Albus, as he was willing to bet his bank that Albus would not be receptive to the idea of becoming involved with him again. But he wasn't worried, they hadn't called him The Spider without reason. He was unmatched when it came to spinning traps so fine that no one knew they were there until they became ensnared. Then they were caught and they didn't leave until he was done with them.

And he would never be done with Albus.

)

Carefully slipping out of the crowd encircling Al Albus wandered off to the side after dinner, his attention elsewhere. Besides, it wasn't like they really wanted to talk to him anyway. He was just another student, while Al was the son of Harry and Ginny Potter, the Chosen One and a former Chaser for the Holyhead Harpies. And the distraction would do Al some good. His poor friend was still reeling from the shock of learning that they would be rooming with Scorpius during their stay. Apparently the Headmaster was completely unaware of the fact that Al was the reason Scorpius had left Hogwarts in the first place. He'd thought they'd be just delighted to know they'd be rooming with someone they'd gone to school with previously. The other roommate was the headmaster's grandson, who was apparently the school's most gifted student. Albus could only hope he and Al could win the grandson over to their side so that between the three of them they could keep Scorpius away from Al as much as possible.

Leaving Al to his admirers Albus walked across the hallway and over to stand in front of a wall near the main entrance. The symbol there had been carved over a century ago, but it remained there for all to see. He always expected someone to blast it off, especially in this part of the country, but it still remained. Perhaps it was considered a historical marker now, Albus thought as his eyes took in the familiar symbol of The Deathly Hollows. What was to have been their symbol. A symbol that inspired fear and loathing as few remembered its original meaning. Even today, it meant Grindelwald to all but a few scholars.

Reaching out Albus's long fingers traced the symbol, closing his eyes as he pictured the boy who'd carved it in his mind. Would Gellert be pleased that it remained even now? Did he even know that boy well enough to know what he would have wanted? He didn't know.

Arms suddenly wrapping around his waist Albus froze as a familiar voice spoke seductively in his ear. The muscular arms and body might be foreign, but the rich, accented voice was etched into his mind forever.

"Admiring my handiwork, Albus?" Gellert asked, just able to rest his chin on Albus's shoulder as he held his former lover against him. Of course the fates would only make him taller, Gellert thought darkly, not appreciating the fact that he now had to step up on his toes to whisper in Albus's ear.

Turning his head slowly Albus's blue eyes clashed with eyes the color of milk chocolate. The face was so similar, though it gave him a jolt to see Gellert's face without the long blonde curls he'd loved to play with. Instead the blonde hair was cut short, his hair tightly curled so that from the chin up Gellert resembled an ancient bust of a Greek god. The features were a little finer, the eyes a lot older, but he recognized instantly that he had not been the only one to choose rebirth. Gellert was alive. Gellert was here. He was in Gellert's arms again. OH. DEAR. HEAVENS!

"How can you be here?" Albus finally got out, unable to move. Couldn't make himself move. In the rational part of his brain he knew he should break free, should attack, should do something other than stand there like an idiot. But Gel was holding him again and it wasn't a dream.

"I could say the same." Was Gellert's reply, his eyes not betraying for a moment the pleasure he felt at holding Albus in his arms again. The coltish body was as familiar to him as his own, and despite the difference in size Albus's body felt like a perfect fit for his. There were small differences between this Albus and the man he'd known, but the hair and skin remained the same. How he'd loved the combination of Albus's flame colored hair against skin as pale as fresh snow. Just remembering what Albus looked like with his hair down and his chest bare was enough to have Gellert thinking about saying to hell with his preliminary plans and just use sex.

"Albus?"

His head whipping around in the opposite direction this time Albus's conflicted eyes met Al's confused ones. Help, Albus's eyes cried out to his friend, who'd come over to see what he was up to. Save me from him. From myself. Please!

A blur of motion Al had his wand pressed up against the side of Gellert's throat before the former dark wizard saw him coming.

"Let him go now." Al ordered, his tone making it clear that Mr. Nice Guy was taking a break and Mr. Ass Kicker had taken his place. Al might have been one of the most easygoing members of his family but he was still the son of an Auror. He knew how to draw blood and would if need be. No one hurt Albus.

More amused than worried Gellert dropped his hands from around Albus's waist, taking a couple steps back before turning to face his challenger. "You can put that away, you know. I haven't hurt him."

Not done yet Al kept the wand pointed at Gellert as he moved to stand between the two men, forcing Albus to back up a little as Al put himself firmly in front of him. With their height difference of six inches he wasn't the best shield for Albus, but it was the best he could do. "Now who are you and what do you want with Albus?"

"We're old friends."

Confused, both by the man's words and Albus's reaction, Al's eyes scanned the other man from head to toe. He saw a man a littler taller than himself who had a physical build that would suggest a serious athlete. He was well muscled, but not so much that he looked like a body builder type. He'd bet on a six pack under that school uniform though, Al noted with reluctant admiration. The guy was blonde after all and he'd always been a sucker for them. Definitely a hottie, and totally his and Albus's type. Could it just be that Albus had crushed on the guy before and didn't know how to handle the guy's interest? Would Albus really panic this much over some crush though? He was usually pretty self composed. And the guy looked sorta familiar now that Al thought about it, though he couldn't place him for the life of him.

Free of Gellert's hold Albus finally saw the situation for it was. If it were possible for someone of his coloring to go pale he would have. Grabbing Al's arm Albus yanked his best friend behind him, now the one acting as shield as he stood between Al and his former lover. 'You will not hurt him' Albus's eyes conveyed plainly, darkening as tensed up, prepared to attack or be attacked. As long as Al was okay, that was all that mattered. He would not lose him too.

Getting the message loud and clear Gellert simply crossed his arms in front of him, making it obvious he had no intention of going for him wand. "I had no intention of drawing on him, Albus. No need to look so worried."

"If I'd been more worried back then than maybe innocent blood wouldn't have been shed, Gel."

Gel? The light dawning Al stuck his head out from behind Albus's shoulder, really looking at the other man now that he knew who to compare the face to. "WHAT THE FUCK?!" Al swore, his mind whirling as he realized it really was a bulked up Gellert Grindelwald standing in front of them so casually.

"Well isn't he eloquent." Gellert's drawled out, even as he processed the fact that Potter's reaction would suggest he knew that this wasn't the first life Albus had lived. "And to think you used to scold Aberforth for saying damn."

"Just go." Albus ordered, his hands fisting at his side.

"All right, though you should know it's pointless to try and stay away from me. The Headmaster, who's my grandfather by the way, put you two in the same room with Scorpius Malfoy, thinking you'd like the familiar face. Malfoy and I have been roommates since he came here and that hasn't changed."

A small smile of victory on his lips Gellert nodded his head in acknowledgement before turning on his heels, heading off in the direction of the dormitories. He'd be waiting in their room when they were ready to accept the inadvertable and face him without wands drawn. He couldn't wait for the next round.

Stepping out from behind Albus Al set what he hoped was a comforting hand on Albus's shaking shoulder. "We're rooming for five months with our exes from hell." He said slowly, needing some comfort as well. "You and I must have ransacked villages, committed mass genocide, and kicked a lot of puppies in our past lives to deserve this."


	3. Preparations To Make

Preparations To Make

"Uhm…is something wrong? You guys know Gellert?" Nikolette asked hesitantly, not really sure what was going on. It was unusual to see Al get angry, and even more unusual to see Gellert Stalanski show an interest in anyone. He'd actually HUGGED Albus and what was up with that?

"How do you know him?" Al demanded to know, latching on to the chance to learn more.

"Well everyone here knows him. He's the smartest guy in school. He's the Headmaster's grandson too. He's legendary for practically teaching the teachers sometimes. He'll get into arguments with them and disrupt the whole class. All the teachers hate him, especially since he's always right. Uhm…Albus? How do YOU know him? Gellert doesn't talk to people much, and he never touches them."

"You must know him though, if you call him by his first name." Al pointed out, trying to distract her from boggy ground. Albus was obviously still too shell shocked to handle a sensitive conversation like that.

"Not really, there are just a lot of Stalanskis in this place. Very popular last name." Smirking Nikolette accepted that Al was trying to redirect her focus and decided to let him for now. Since Al was interested, she'd gossip a little before trying to weasel more out of them. "Gellert's the wallflower type most of the time. He generally stays in the background and watches what's going on without participating. Uhm…his family is fairly well off and he has a younger brother who's about three or four I think. He doesn't date at all, so no one had any idea what team he played for until he made that move on Albus. That will be all over school and extremely embellished before morning by the way."

"Yay me." Albus muttered.

"Well hey, it's not all bad. He is totally hot." Nikolette pointed out. "And a genius. Plus he's really polite and sexily mysterious. He's really non judgmental about different species too, you should like that about him, Al. We have a werewolf here at school and Gellert tutors him so that he doesn't get too far behind when he has to miss class."

"What about Muggleborns and Muggles?" Al asked, not imagining that a leopard could change its spots too much.

"He's never seemed to have a problem with them. Or at least he's never said anything against them. He pretty much treats everyone the same. The only person he shows any preference for is Malfoy, and that's probably only because they're roommates. I wouldn't even call them friends. Neither of them have close friends really. They're a lot alike actually."

"And how depressing is that." Was Al's opinion as he looked over to share a knowing look with Albus. They did, unfortunately, have the same taste in men after all. And their taste was worse than most. If Scorpius tried to become the next Gellert Grindelwald he was going to be seriously pissed off and depressed.

Albus knew better than to take Nikolette's words to heart. Gellert was very good at making people believe whatever he wanted him to believe. Maybe Gellert was playing it safe, and had no intention of attempting to repeat history, but that didn't mean he wasn't dangerous. It only meant he was better at what he did best. Manipulate and deceive.

"So how do you know him? Al said something about exes…you two dated?"

"Really rather not talk about it."

"Well everyone's going to be talking about. Especially with you guys being roommates and all."

"Then ask him." Was Albus's weary reply. "His version is sure to be more interesting than mine."

)

"Wait, so not only are they our new roommates, but you used to date WIMBLEDON?" Staring at Gellert in shock Scorpius honestly didn't know which was worse. He was getting mental images of Gellert and Albus together and would have thrown up if there had been anything in his stomach. Plus the idea of sharing a bedroom with Al for five minutes, much less five months was too much for his system to handle. He couldn't be around Al, he'd left a country to get away from Al. What had he done to deserve this? What the hell was Al thinking? What was Wimbledon thinking not thinking for Al and telling him it was a bad idea!

"Calm down. Now was I right in thinking you used to date his friend?"

The look on Scorpius's face said it all. Yes, he'd dated Al Potter. Yes, he'd loved Al Potter. And yes, he was not over Al in the least.

"I see. Well you help me nail my man and I'll help you with yours. Yours will be the easier of the two." He'd have to learn more about Al Potter before he'd be able to help Scorpius get his man, but Gellert doubted there would be much of a problem. And with Potter busy with Scorpius the way to Albus would be clear.

"You have sex with him in here and I'm out." The thought of Wimbledon naked had Scorpius shuddering. "And besides, I don't want Al back. And Al won't let you have Wimbledon back either. Albus probably dumped you in the first place over Al. They're devoted to each other." Which was why he and Al had broken up in the first place. He'd gotten tired of coming in second to the four eyed geek. Sure it was all right for Al to diss his friends, but one word against Wimbledon and Al was ready to kick his ass. Al had always laughed off his jealous comments, but Scorpius knew better. Wimbledon had always come first when it counted.

Gellert wasn't about to discount Scorpius's idea that Potter and Albus were lovers, but that wasn't the vibe he'd gotten. Yes Potter had threatened him, but it hadn't been the way a lover protected what belonged to him. In his vast experience men tended to lose their heads when their lovers were threatened, usually getting very physical as a result. Potter had been very cool headed, even knowing who he was facing. Albus had protected Potter too, but hadn't used violence either. That was less telling though, as Albus wasn't violent unless seriously provoked.

And it really didn't matter to him. If they were lovers now they soon wouldn't be. He would tolerate Albus having relationships with others, even one as close as he seemed to have with Potter. But Albus belonged to him. There would be no one in his man's bed but him. He'd see to it.

"I'm going to bed." Scorpius decided, massaging his temples. "I'm going to wake up tomorrow and this is all going to be a bad dream."

"Yeah, good luck with that."

)

Giving his roommate a final dark look Scorpius turned and climbed up the ladder that led to his bed. To Muggle eyes the room was incredibly small and spartan, with only two pieces of furniture in it. There were two bunk beds, curtains hanging from the wall and the top bunk so that the occupants of the beds were visible only when they wished to be. Behind the curtains the magic kicked in. While the beds looked small from the outside they became as big as any king size once their occupant was there. Even a man of Wimbledon's height could stand up on either bunk and not bump his head. The wall running the width of the room had drawers built in and there was a large shelving unit built into the far wall for books and storage. At the foot of the bed were more drawers and a closet for clothes that needed to be hung up.

Sitting down on his bed Scorpius viciously removed the backings for his earrings, pulling the various studs out of his ears before throwing them into the dish he kept on his shelf for that purpose. Eyes flitting over to a framed photo near the bowl Scorpius's eyes stared at the picture of his family, reaching out to retrieve it. With hands that shook a little he turned it over and pushed aside the clamps holding the picture in place. When the bottom dropped off a new picture stared up at him, a distant moment captured in time. The two boys in the picture grinned up at him, starting with their arms over each other's shoulders as they mugged for the camera. Then Al's arm slipped off and he drew his arms around a fifteen year old Scorpius, hugging him against that slim body that had toughened up since the last time they'd met. They looked so happy, so thrilled to be together in the picture. An illusion, Scorpius thought, just like the magic that made the people in the picture seem alive.

Shoving the backing back on the frame Scorpius redid the clamps and set it back on the shelf, glaring at it. If Al didn't talk the Headmaster into moving them to a new room Scorpius would make Gellert do it. He didn't care if his roomie wanted to get into Wimbledon's pants or not. He couldn't stay in the same room with Al. He didn't even know if he could stay in the same school again.

How could Al be okay with being in the same school as him, Scorpius wondered, when he couldn't bear even the thought of it.

)

The two Albuses put off going to their room as long as possible. They went out of their way to meet everyone on their floor before they headed to the room they'd been assigned, both feeling very dejected. From what they'd learned there was little chance of them being reassigned a room if Gellert was determined to keep them where they were. Both boys were pretty sure that was going to be the case.

"I am so, so sorry." Al said for the millionth time as they walked down the deserted hallway. "This is so all my fault."

"No it's not." Albus assured him, though he had had a few moments in the last couple hours where he'd wanted to strangle his best friend for getting them into this mess. But really, it wasn't Al's fault. Fate would have put Gellert in his path sooner or later. Fate had never been kind to him. "And maybe this is fate's way of telling me I need to suck it up and face him. The way you decided you needed to face Malfoy."

"Scorpius is nowhere in Gellert Grindelwald's league." Or at least he hadn't been. But Scorpius had been a follower rather than a leader at Hogwarts. It was one of the main reasons they'd broken up. Scorpius had fallen in with a group of Slytherins that would have been Deatheater material if Voldemort had still been alive and slithering. Scorpius wasn't vicious or violent by nature, but Al had seen that the Slytherins had slowly been pushing his love further and further into the grey area between right and wrong. And Scorpius had let them.

He'd actually considered that the silver lining in Scorpius dumping him and moving to another school. He'd thought that at least Scorpius would be in a new place where he wouldn't feel he had to live up to the expectations people had for a Malfoy. Now he'd found out Scorpius had been hanging out with a man who'd been more dangerous than Voldemort in some ways. Could things get any worse?

"Don't borrow trouble." Albus said softly, reading Al's thoughts easily enough. "Just because he's rooming with Gel doesn't mean he's turning into Gel. And if Gel is using him I'll do my best to talk him out of it."

"I'd rather you not owe Grindelwald any favors, especially on my account."

"Stalanski." Albus remind him. "We can't slip up and call him that. He isn't that anymore. He'll have changed with this new life, its inadvertable, Al. That one guy, Mikhail, said that his father was business partners with Gel's. That Gel comes from a decent, loving family this time. In the past Gel would never talk about his family and I always got the distinct impression they weren't the best of parents. That alone is bound to have changed things about him."

"You mean you hope it has."

"We are shaped and formed by the choices we make. By the people who come into our lives and leave their marks on it. None of us ever stays the same and we shouldn't. I don't intend to start anything with Gel, no matter what he wants, but I'm not going to start off assuming the worst until I find reason to." At least that was what he was telling himself.

A couple minutes passed and they were standing in front of their door. Turning, Al asked one last question before they went in. It had been nagging him, not to mention making him just a little jealous, however foolish that was. "Did he always look at you like that? Like you belonged to him?" Gellert had looked at Albus like he was everything he'd ever wanted. Al had never had anyone other than family look at him that way.

A sad smile crossed Albus's face. "Yes. Probably as fake as his new persona, but at the time I believed it."

"Not everything about him could have been a lie."

"But what was true will likely always remain a mystery."

Reaching for the door handle Albus let them in, eyes taking in the bunks to the left, which were their roommates. Neither man was in sight and no sound came from either of the bunks.

Just when they thought that perhaps the other two were off somewhere the bottom curtain was pushed aside and Gellert stuck his head out, revealing that he was currently shirtless and likely dressed for bed. "Scorpius wasn't feeling well so he went to bed earlier. Any questions before we call it a day?" Throwing Albus off was key, he thought, pleased that Albus's gaze seemed transfixed on his chest.

"We'll be fine thanks." Al answered coolly, his eyes conveying to Gellert clearly that he was not going to be won over.

"All right then. Sweet dreams." Hand moving to grasp the covers Gellert paused, turning his head to meet Albus's slightly dazed eyes. "I told him you and I briefly dated for a couple of weeks over the summer in July. Pretending we don't know each other would never work."

Crossing his arms protectively in front of him Albus nodded. "Fine."

"Night then." And pulling the curtain back into place Gellert disappeared from view.

The two Gryffindors looked at each other than shrugged in unison. They were both too worn out and tired to try and analyze what the hell Gellert was up to at the moment. Saying their own good nights Al headed up the ladder while Albus climbed into the bottom bunk.

It was a very long, very sleepless night for all of them.

)

The next morning Scorpius was gone before anyone else had woken up. Al woke up next and went for his usual run, coming back to their room to wake Albus up and make sure he stayed up. The two headed for the showers and returned to the room dressed for the day, wearing their new uniforms which consisted of black pants, brown turtlenecks and black robes with the school's coat of arms on the breast pocket.

Gellert was nowhere in sight as they put away their stuff and grabbed their books, heading down for breakfast with a group of others they'd met the night before. Gellert made no move to join them at their table and Scorpius was sitting as far from them as possible.

Everyone noticed.

When questioned Albus gave the same answer Gellert had given Scorpius, refusing to elaborate. Al distracted everyone as much as possible but had little success. He would have zero success come lunch time. The next two classes would see to that.

Things started off well enough with Al and Albus heading to their first class which was Ancient Runes. Neither was surprised that Gellert was in that class as well, the two of them hastily taking seats with others around it. The fireworks began to fly part way through the lesson though, when Gellert argued with the professor as to the validity and value of an ancient text of runes translation recently discovered in Albania. That Gellert would argue with the teacher was nothing new. That Albus would take up the argument when the teacher failed to stand up under Gellert's arguments did.

The two hurled arguments back and forth between them, throwing out dates, names and precedents with a speed and knowledge that was astoundingly mindboggling. No one could keep up; much less decide whose side they were on.

Sitting beside Albus Al felt like he was watching them flirt with each other. It was like a really geeky form of foreplay, he thought, his head going back and forth like he was at a tennis match. Albus looked more alive than Al had ever seen him, his friend's blue eyes alight with passion and fire as he pit his brilliant mind against its equal. Never before had Al seen such an example of just how incredibly smart his best friend was. Albus never bragged or lorded his brilliance over anyone, but now his friend was trying to prove his mental superiority and it was something to behold.

And Gellert looked just as animated, involved, and brilliant. Albus had Gellert's whole attention, the man wasn't even aware there was anyone in the room but him. The two were so focused on each other that a hailstorm wouldn't even register. No matter what Albus said, Al thought, Gellert did see Albus as being different from everyone else. Albus was special to him.

The teacher never did get control of the class back and when the bell rang the two debaters glared at him for daring to call the class to an end. Silently fuming they left the room only to discover that they were, the three of them, headed for the same class again, this time with Scorpius as well. The class was Defense Against the Dark Arts and the class was a repeat of the earlier one.

By lunch time all the professors destined to have Albus and Gellert in class together were knocking back the vodka in preparation.


	4. You're Only Human

You're Only Human

Smartly Albus and Al had taken seats at the end of a table for dinner, with Albus at the end and Al beside him. That way it wasn't possible for anyone to crowd in on Albus the way they had at lunch. Luck was with them too, as apparently word had gone out that Albus wasn't talking and could not be bribed into doing so. Now everyone was crowded around Gellert, driving the two Albuses nuts wondering what he was and wasn't saying to them.

Picking at his food Al was as lost in thought as Albus was. It wasn't like he hadn't looked into the history of Gellert Grindelwald; Al had always had an interest in him since Albus had first confessed who he really was. He'd done hours of research, trying to figure out what would have attracted someone like Albus to the second worst wizard in history. His research had indicated that Grindelwald had been handsome, intelligent and charismatic when he wanted to be, and Al had figured that it had been rather like the typical geek crushing on the unattainable star quarterback. In fact, Al had to privately admit that he'd often wondered if Albus and Grindelwald's relationship hadn't been just like that, with the most popular guy, Grindelwald, using the geek, Albus, to get what he wanted the fastest way possible, by using that crush against him.

He was thinking he'd been dead wrong now.

Chemistry. It was all about chemistry between these two. He'd sat in various classrooms today and been blown away with everyone else over the chemistry the two had. You could not be in the same room with them and not know that they were meant for each other. That no one could ever fit the other so perfectly. That they had managed to part once spoke of their incredible wills and the impact of Ariana's death, but in his gut Al doubted either would be able to separate a second time. For one of the things the two reborn wizards had had most in common in their past lives was that after they had parted ways they had never attempted to replicate their former relationship with anyone else. Both had lived relatively solitary lives, interacting with others but never letting them too close or become too dear. They had both been too smart and too self aware to think they could ever find in someone else what they'd found in the other.

There had been no one for Albus Dumbledore but Gellert Grindelwald. There had been no one for Gellert Grindelwald but Albus Dumbledore. And they had both always known it.

Were they like ying and yang, Al wondered, day and night, light and dark? Were they two sides of the same coin, meant to balance each other out? Had the loss of Albus's light been the reason Grindelwald had fallen so far into the dark? Had the loss of Gellert been the reason why Albus Dumbledore had never been able to see the beauty and light within himself, because how could light be seen without darkness? Was that why the former dark wizard now sought Albus out, even though Albus had been responsible for his incarceration and in some ways his death. Because Gellert realized, as Albus perhaps didn't, that they needed each other in order to live lives worth living.

)

Leaving Al to his wool gathering, he didn't have to be a genius to figure out what Al was thinking after all, Albus concentrated on using his fork to push his food around his plate. He had zero appetite, which was unusual for him. Back home people often marveled at how much he could eat and still retain the build of a scarecrow. Even reminding himself that he needed all the strength he could get to deal with Gellert wasn't enough to stir his appetite.

History had already begun to repeat itself.

Their mutual intelligence had always been the glue that had bound them together. Both had spent their lives up until their meeting surrounded by people who couldn't begin to keep up with their thought processes and who had often been intimidated or angered by any demonstration of their own mental inferiority in comparison. Gellert had never cared what people had thought but he always had. It had hurt him, the way he either had to dumb himself down or deal with people praising his intelligence as they put him on a pedestal above them. When he'd been Albus Dumbledore he'd collected loads of ribbons and awards, coveted everything he could gain that would state that his intelligence was a good thing and not something to be ashamed of or hidden. This way of dealing with his situation had turned him into an arrogant ass at times, one who had hid his loneliness behind books and studying. He'd had no one to talk to about what mattered to him, no one who could discuss at his level the things that interested him or sparked his imagination. No one who understood the incomparable joy he got out of learning.

No one until Gellert.

He had first seen the blonde at the village cemetery, looking up from his mother's grave when he'd sensed the presence of another. He'd already known by then that he preferred men to girls romantically, just one more thing to set him apart from everyone else. The boy, for Gellert had always looked young for his age, had struck him as beautiful in that first glance. Like an angel painted by an old master, with that curly blonde hair and high cheekbones. They had exchanged only a glance and then the boy had gone back to studying the grave he stood in front of, dismissing Albus's presence without even a nod of acknowledgement. Used to being dismissed by the popular and good looking he had done his best to shrug it off and pretend he didn't wish the other boy would have at least nodded in his direction.

Their relationship would have likely ended then and there had there not been a knock on the Dumbeldores' door later that day, Albus opening it to find his late mother's friend standing on the doorstep with her nephew. It hadn't taken Albus long to see that Bathilda Bagshot wanted the two of them to be friends, she had gone on and on about how much they would have in common and they'd both thought she was crazy. That was until Gellert had noticed the book in Albus's hand, the one he'd been reading when they'd dropped by. Gellert had recognized it and had asked Albus if he was actually reading it, indicating through his tone that he had a hard time believing it could be so. The assumption had lit a fire under his pride and before he'd known it he and Gellert were heatedly discussing the book at length, Bathilda leaving sometime during their debate though neither could have said when. They'd spent hours in what seemed like minutes discussing that book, both visibly shocked when Abeforth had come into the room to demand to know when supper was going to be ready.

He had always known that it was his brains that had attracted Gellert to him. On some level it had always amused him that the thing most people found so hard to deal with about him was the thing Gellert liked most. But how could it not be agonizing too, to fall in love with someone and know that only in intelligence were you their equal. He'd always been realistic and had known he was no prize in the looks department, and that while he did well enough with people at that age he hadn't yet become nearly as comfortable around them as he would later in life. Always, always there had been that voice in his head that had wondered if Gellert would have wanted anything to do with him if not for the help he could provide him. And he had made sure he was as indispensible to his new friend as he could be, sacrificing time with his family and his own interests to do it. And they'd never seemed like sacrifices at all, when Gellert smiled at him and said he could never do all this without him.

Looking back he liked to think on his good days that Gellert had cared for him as much as Gellert had ever been able to care about anyone other than himself. On his bad days, Albus wondered if Gellert's words of love and their physical relationship had simply been the other man's way of insuring his loyalty and devotion.

)

Al would have left Albus to his thoughts, knowing they both felt seriously talked out after the bombardment of questions they'd had to deal with during the day, but his spidey senses had gone off big time. The feel of someone's malevolent gaze had Al looking up from his plate instinctively, to see where it was coming from. It didn't take him long to spot her, or to see that the look was for Albus rather than for him. And so reaching out Al gently shook Albus's shoulder until Albus turned to look at him questioningly.

"The next table, black and green, five eight, hundred and ten at most. She does not like you."

Understanding the Auror short form Albus's eyes looked in the direction indicated, finding her easily enough. Were he remotely interested in females he'd imagine he would find her quite beautiful. She had gypsy hair and golden skin, even the ugliness of the uniforms couldn't detract from her loveliness. He'd imagine that she gave most of the other girls at the school a run for their money, but couldn't begin to imagine why she would dislike him already. And she really didn't like him, he could feel it. Her face didn't give her away, but Albus was the son of an Auror too and had the instincts to know when he was faced with someone who would like to see him dead.

This one wanted to see him dead in ways he'd rather not think about.

"Any ideas as to why she's pissed off?" She looked to be around their age, but Al didn't recognize her from any of the classes he and Albus had had together.

"Not a clue." But Albus had a feeling he should find out as soon as possible. He had a feeling the lady meant business.

Both men studied her, trying to place where they might have crossed paths with her earlier. Minutes later their view was blocked as Scorpius shocked them both by suddenly sitting down in front of them.

"Quit staring at her. You'll only make it worse." Scorpius informed them, annoyed as hell with himself. But he'd seen the way Natasha had been looking at Wimbledon and she was a nasty bit of goods. And if she caused trouble with Wimbledon then Al would get involved and possibly hurt in the process. He had enough mental anxieties at the moment without having to worry that Al was going to get himself blown away in front of him.

"You know her?" Albus asked, while Al gapped at Scorpius like a landed trout. Knowing Scorpius as he did Albus didn't have to ask why the other man was getting involved. Scorpius had genuinely loved Al, Albus had never disagreed with that. He'd just always known that Scorpius, like him, would always chose family over personal happiness in the end. And the Malfoys would never accept Al as Scorpius's.

"Her name is Natasha Yelchin. Her family is one of the oldest wizarding families, certainly one of the wealthiest. She's a sixth year, top student. Her goal in life is to be Mrs. Gellert Stalanski. She now thinks you're the reason he's not interested and for the underwear fiasco. She wants you gone."

"The what fiasco?" Al asked.

"She tried all the usual ways to land him and when none of that worked she arranged for him to get a message to appear at a hotel owned by her family. He arrived to find her dressed only in lingerie and he walked out. Apparently she trashed the room considerably. Someone leaked the story to the student body."

It was small of him, but Albus couldn't help but be a little happy to know that Gellert had turned the other woman down. She was incredibly beautiful, and must be smart to be first in her year, but Gellert had turned her down anyway. Of course she was a woman, not a man, but there had been rumors that Gellert had taken some female lovers before his imprisonment. Whether they were true or not he'd never known.

"So she's going to come after Albus, even though he isn't encouraging Stalanski in the least?"

"I would count on it."

"Oh great. Things just keep going from bad to worse."

Albus and Scorpius had to silently agree.

)

Since he'd lost all appetite Albus left the Dining Hall as soon as possible and went straight back to the dormitories, giving thanks that he got back before any of his roommates. Heading straight for bed Albus changed, grabbed a good book, and settled down to lull himself to sleep with it. He ignored the sounds of the others arriving one by one, having already said good night to Al. Scorpius ignored him of course, Albus had no doubt that it was Gellert who paused in front of his curtained bed for a moment before heading over to the other side of the room. Soon all lights were off and Albus felt it was safe to breathe a little easier. He'd gotten through the day. That was an accomplishment to be savored.

Unable to sleep it was close to one in the morning when Albus looked up from his book, his ears picking up the sound of… a cane? Straining his ears Albus was sure that was what he was hearing, headed towards the door. Instinctively parting the curtain a little to get a look Albus had just enough time to make out Gellert's form, a cane in one hand and a satchel in the other, before the other man closed their door behind him. Gellert? A cane? What the hell?

In some logical part of his brain Albus called himself every kind of idiot a few minutes later as he got out of bed and headed after Gellert. But his body wasn't listening to that part of his brain. It was listening to the side that said Gellert was up to something he needed to know what that something was. Albus was acting on instinct and stupidly told himself Gellert would never have to know about it. And so he headed down the hallway, heading for their area's common room.

Cautiously looking around the corner and into the large room Albus spotted the cane and satchel resting on a couch, Gellert walking back and forth in front of the huge fireplace. Even from a distance Albus could see what Gellert was trying to do for it was obvious that Gellert's left leg was causing him pain, pain Gellert was trying to walk off. From the stiffness of the stride Albus assumed it was significant, especially since Gellert was actually grimacing. He'd never met anyone with a higher pain tolerance. Not sure what to do Albus fingered his braid, his eyes never leaving Gellert as the other man made his way over to the couch, taking a seat.

Gellert propped him leg up on the table in front of the couch and began massaging the muscles around it, this obviously causing him more pain than the walking. And it was that pain that had Albus walking into the room, his only thought to help.

)

Sensing the new presence Gellert forced his usual mask into place, the one he used to hide his condition from everyone. He knew who it was of course, even before he turned his head to meet Albus's concerned gaze, the man dressed in ridiculously bright green pajamas. Albus always had liked to be colorful. That had apparently never changed.

"Shouldn't you be in bed?" Gellert asked lightly. A small voice in his head pointed out that he could use Albus's concern against him, but it was quickly squashed. Even if he told Albus the truth about his injury he probably wouldn't be believed. He wouldn't have believed it of himself either.

"What's wrong with your leg?"

"It's nothing, just a muscle cramp. I thought to be somewhat considerate and walk it off in here."

Albus looked from the cane to Gellert's eyes. "You're lying." Coming over Albus sat down on the table and grasping the material gently rolled the bottom of Gellert's pajamas up, absently slapping away the hand Gellert lifted to stop him. Getting past the knee Albus hissed, his eyes widening as he looked at the mess someone had made there. The muscles were visibly mangled and it looked like a mess of badly healed scar tissue. That it had been done by black magic was brutally obvious. Fingers running over the wounds Albus thought it a miracle the spell hadn't taken the leg right off.

In some part of his mind Gellert knew he should be stopping this, but Albus was willingly touching him for the first time in over a century. Eyes closing to half mast in an effort to hide his reaction Gellert was willing to suffer the pain so long as Albus continued to fuss.

"Who did this to you?"

"Someone who will never do it again." Reading Albus expression easily Gellert's lips turned up in a smirk. "He's still alive, I didn't kill him. He's just in prison. Oh yea of little faith." Gellert added, when Albus looked at him skeptically.

"You can't tell me this wound was properly seen to when you got it. My mother was a healer, I spent my childhood wandering around St. Mungo's. You didn't seek proper medical attention, which suggests you couldn't, since why would you suffer more than you needed to."

No kidding. He was going to spend the rest of his life in pain because of it. No good deed ever went unpunished as the saying went.

"I have no intention of getting into duels or wars this time around, Albus. I'm very much reformed. I'm sure you've asked around about me, hasn't everyone told you what a good boy I am?"

"And deceiving people into seeing you the way you wanted them to was always your gift. Your name isn't second only to Voldemort's without reason."

"Yes, that always did piss me off." Gellert commented in a conversational tone. "That anyone would consider me second to that slimy bastard in anything. Of course I should never have been on that list of terrible wizards to begin with."

"Millions of people died because of you, Gel." His eyes fierce Albus's hands dropped away, Gellert's words chilling him to the bone.

"So you and others say. I would disagree. There's a reason I never had a trial, Albus, why they sent for you and I went straight to jail after the duel. Because no honest justice system could legitimately convict me of anything and you know it. And before you disagree with me let me remind you of something, something people so often chose to forget. All human beings, wizards or Muggles, have free will. They have brains and while they rarely use them they're there none the less. Anyone who says I brought about World War Two is conveniently forgetting that there had been a First World War only twenty one years before that I had nothing to do with. The Second World War would have happened with my help or not. Maybe less people would have died, but it would have occurred nonetheless. Did I stick my nose in Muggles affairs, yes. Did I whisper in the ears of politicians that war was the only way to go, that it was their duty and right, yes. Did I encourage mad men like Hitler, Stalin and Mussolini to believe that they were the gods they thought they were, yes. But I did not use magic to convince them or anyone else to go to war. To take innocent lives and end them without mercy. I didn't tell people to tell their boys that they were cowards and unmanly if they didn't fight for their countries and I did not hold guns to the heads of Nazi soldiers as they marched their fellow human beings into the gas chambers. I never took away anyone's free will to stand back, recognize that what was happening was wrong, and protest it. I played a part in what happened in Europe, but no more than any Muggle politician. I sought to prove to the Wizarding World that Muggles were savage, inhumane, and undeserving of the privileges we gave them. I showed them what Muggles were capable of doing to their brothers and sisters, to innocent children without remorse or regret. And anyone who says I wasn't right to think that of them is delusional. It's still going on, Albus, it didn't stop with my imprisonment and you know it."

"So you feel no remorse at all for any of it?"

He could lie of course. He had one hell of a poker face and had usually been able to fool Albus easily enough. But he wasn't about to lie about this. "Do you really think I would have been reborn if I didn't? Perhaps I don't feel as much as you and everyone would think I should, but I am sorry in my way. I do know that you were right, Albus."

Albus's surprise was written all over his face.

"No one I respected told me I was wrong until we faced off in that duel and you told me why you'd come. There isn't a lot to do in a jail cell and so I thought about what you'd said quite a bit. It took me a decade or so, but I did realize you were right. I still maintain that Muggles are primitive, dangerous and too easily led…but so are the majority of human beings, wizards included. And since the only way to save this wretched world is to kill off all the human beings and return the world to nature, I am content to simply do my time on this earth without making so much as a ripple in its history."

Staring at Gellert Albus felt like he'd been punched in the gut. "Do you mean to tell me…that all those lives could have been saved…if I'd only come to you sooner?"

"Really, Albus." Shaking his head Gellert followed Albus's thought process easily. "You still haven't lost that god complex of yours, have you? When are you going to learn that you are not a god and that you can't control the world no matter how much you try. Why must you always insist on taking the world's problems and putting them on your shoulders? You're a human being, with flaws just like everyone else. You're always blaming yourself for the actions of others, never taking into account that they chose to do whatever it is they did. You're even harder on yourself than you are on me." Sliding his leg off the table so that he was in a proper sitting position Gellert leaned forward so that he was looking Albus straight in the eye as he framed the other man's face in his hands. "This is why you need me, you know. To remind you that you're only human."

And leaning forward Gellert placed his lips against Albus's.


	5. Terminal Cases

Terminal Cases

Arguably the best and the worst thing about Gellert was his tenacity. Once he set his mind to doing or learning something there was no stopping him from being the best he could be. Big or small, Gellert was the type of person who had to strive for perfection in everything he did. This included kissing. And as his first real experiences with physical intimacy had been with the man he was currently kissing, Gellert had done more research than most as to how to go about making Albus melt like an ice cream cone in August.

And melting he was as Gellert's lips seduced him with slow, drawn out kisses that had Albus putting up zero protest. There was a small portion of his arrogant brain that announced he must have had an unexpected stroke, this being the only logical reason why he wasn't beating the crap out of Gellert for doing this. The rest of the brain knew better, but let him think that while they went crazy over the hormone surges Gellert was producing for them to deal with.

The cooler head prevailed. While Gellert could have quite happily gone on kissing Albus until the other students started coming out for breakfast, he knew himself well enough to know that if Albus kept making those sounds in the back of his throat and letting him do whatever he wanted he was going to have to take advantage. And this was not the place, nor was his bloody knee up to it anyway. And so very reluctantly Gellert pulled away from the kiss, continuing to frame Albus's face between his hands as he watched Albus's eyes slowly open, darker in color than normal as they struggled to focus and evaluate the situation.

"Glad to see that hasn't changed." Gellert said more to himself than to Albus.

Furious, more with himself than with Gellert, Albus got to his feet. "Don't do that again." He ordered, his breathing harsh as he struggled to call his traitorous body to order. They were not going down this road again. If he let Gellert seduce his body his heart and mind would follow soon enough. Of course there was that little voice in the back of his mind pointing out that all three had belonged to Gellert for over a century, but that was a voice Albus had been drowning out for over a century.

Gellert simply raised an eyebrow, his eyes conveying the fact that he knew very well that they both knew Albus would be lying if he said he didn't want that to happen again.

"I mean it." And knowing better than to think he could win an argument with his head still spinning from Gellert's kisses, Albus simply stepped over Gellert's bended knee and headed out of the room, ignoring Gellert's knowing stare.

Letting him go for the moment Gellert turned his attention back to his knee. Propping it up on the table he went through the routine ritual of massaging a special cream into the wounds to help loosen up and repair the damaged tissue, wrapping the knee up afterwards so that the potion would be absorbed and the leg unable to bend too much. Once that was done he swallowed his pain medication dry and got up to leave. Eyes scanning the area to make sure he'd left nothing behind to indicate his presence Gellert's sharp eyes latched onto something small that was reflecting the glow of the fireplace. Hopping over Gellert reached down and picked the disk shaped item up, recognizing it immediately as a button off of Albus's pajamas.

Tucking the button into his pocket Gellert retrieved his satchel and cane, using the latter to help him make his way back to their room. Letting himself in without making a sound Gellert headed over towards Albus's bed, lifting a hand to move back the curtain with the intention of returning the button and perhaps rubbing in a bit more the man's response to him earlier. But the bed was empty.

Eyes narrowing Gellert instinctively looked up to the top bunk. Where Albus was, he would bet on it. For protection, to piss him off, or because Albus wished to make clear that he was involved with Malfoy's ex and therefore wasn't available? Or perhaps a combination of all three, Gellert wondered as his busy mind conjured all sorts of possibilities, most of which had him itching for his wand.

Gellert went to bed very pissed off, his ears trained to catch every little sound. If he so much as heard the two of them moving around together up there Albus would be made to be very, very sorry, he darkly vowed to himself.

)

The next morning at about six there was a loud thud followed by a great deal of muffled swearing and cursing. A few minutes later Albus came down the ladder and headed for his own bed, rubbing a hand under his jaw and muttering under his breath. Minutes after Al came down as well, dressed in his running clothes and rubbing the top of his head. He was doing a fair bit of swearing under his breath too as he stretched out his arms to limber up, casting dark looks in Albus's bed's direction.

He was about to head out when Albus climbed out of his own bed also dressed in clothes appropriate for getting some physical exercise.

"Why aren't you going back to bed?" Al asked, in the midst of stretching one of his legs. Albus loved to sleep and it was usually a bit of a chore to get him up, especially when he was obviously sleep deprived.

"Nope, I'm going with you. Punishment for my sins."

Raising an eyebrow Al couldn't begin to imagine why Albus would be coming with him. Albus practically had to have a wand pointed at his head to get him to exercise. "I didn't smash my head into your jaw that hard. Plus…it was sort of my fault."

"I knew better when I crawled in with you. I should have woken you up."

No arguments there. Al was a cuddler, everyone knew it. You couldn't sleep in the same bed with him and not have him curl up against you sometime during the night. It was especially dangerous for people like Albus who slept on their backs. Hence Al's ill fated head ending up under Albus's jaw.

"I'm not doing this because of that, I'm doing it because of the reason I crawled in with you."

Raising an eyebrow Al gave his best friend a questioning look. What had happened while he was sleeping? He'd simply assumed that Albus had had one of his nightmares about Ariana, hence the late night visit. Because this wasn't about a nightmare, he could see it in Albus's eyes.

"I'll tell you about it while you're torture me with laps around the school." He was already grimacing just thinking about it. Holding the door open for Al the two headed out, the door closing on Albus saying, "I let the bastard kiss me."

From his bed, having not slept a wink during the night, Gellert finally closed his eyes. Albus might have climbed into bed with Potter, but Potter hadn't known it until ten minutes ago. The green eyed bastard could live to see another day.

In the bed above Gellert's Scorpius punched his pillow a couple of times before settling back in the bed, hoping to get some more sleep before he had to face another day. The four eyed bastard was damn lucky he'd only gotten a sore chin. He'd spent a great deal of the early morning planning much worse.

Neither Al nor Albus knew how close they'd been to being bloodied by one of their roommates.

)

"Well at least you got one hell of a kiss out of it." Al pointed out, trying to find a bright side for Albus's sake. They'd been jogging for a good twenty minutes and he'd been brought completely up to date, his mind reeling with the realization that keeping Albus from falling into Stalanski's clutches was going to be a lot harder than he'd thought. He'd figured on Albus not cracking under the strain this badly until at least October.

Doing his best to keep his breathing even Albus could practically hear his muscles screaming at him. He really, really should have stretched first. He was only able to keep up with Al because his stride was longer. "That's not a good thing though." Albus argued, his face red with exertion. "Now I know he's only gotten better with age!"

Reaching out Al patted his friend's shoulder in sympathy. "I feel your pain. Sort of. It's just been too long since I've had my head blown off by a kiss, I'm feeling just a little envious." That the only man who'd ever managed to completely possess him with just a kiss was one of their new roommates made things worse. Because if the situations had been reversed, and Scorpius had suddenly decided to kiss him, Al was pretty sure he'd have done some serious melting of his own. "You and I need help. Serious help." Al finally announced as he looked over at his best friend. "We need help ASAP to overcome our weakness for blonde bad boys."

"I'm afraid we're probably terminal cases."

"I'm afraid you might be right."

The two continued on for another five minutes before they caught sight of another person. The man was slightly off to the distance, looking in their direction. He was almost as tall as Albus, but far more bulky. All muscle too as far as they could tell. They didn't get much of a chance to look him over though, because as soon as he saw that he had their attention he took off with a speed that was surprising for someone of his considerable build.

"Any idea who that was?" Albus asked, looking over at Al questioningly. He just hoped the guy wasn't a new enemy for them to deal with. They just didn't need any more this early in the term.

"His last name is Worden. I think he might be the werewolf Nikolette mentioned. He's in my Herbology class and everyone seems to be afraid of him, even the teacher. He's got wicked scars that look like claw marks along his neck and half way up to his right cheek, and his eyes are gold like a wolf's. I tried to introduce myself yesterday and he acted like I wasn't even there. The girl I was sitting beside says he can't speak, and apparently the only person he willingly goes near is Gellert. Maybe he was just curious about you, given all the rumors that are going around."

"Are he and Gellert supposed to be friends then?" Albus asked, hating the fact that he remotely hated the idea that they might be.

Al shrugged. "Nikolette said Gellert didn't have any friends, remember? But who knows, maybe they are."

It was possible. In the old days Gellert had actually been more tolerant of other species than many of their peers. It was for Muggles alone that he'd reserved his distain. And now he was curious as to how close Gellert was to the muscle bound hulk, damn it.

"Shall we try to sit with him at breakfast?" Albus suggested impulsively. This is what happened when you hung around Weasley and Potters all your new life, Albus thought dryly, already regretting his words as Al nodded in agreement. You're curiosity too often got the best of you.

)

And so the two, after Al all but carried Albus to the showers and back to their room, the two got dressed and headed down for breakfast. It wasn't hard to find their target, he sat at the far right table and there was no one within a meter's reach of him. Together the two Gryffindors walked over and gingerly took seats in front of the man, watching him carefully for a possibly violent reaction.

He looked like a defenseman for the NFL, Albus thought to himself, more than a little intimidated as he was looked over. The man's dark hair was shaved close to his head, and those golden eyes were intimidating as hell. He could definite have a career as a bouncer if nothing else. He wouldn't even have to throw anyone out, Albus thought to himself. He'd just have to look at them. They'd throw themselves out to get away from him.

And if Albus was being honest with himself, a part of his instinctive dislike for the werewolf had to do with the fact that the other man was so masculine in appearance and demeanor, while he himself had often been told he could pass for a girl if he wanted to. Jealousy was an ugly emotion. Reminding himself of that made him feel bad enough to try and make friends regardless.

Drawing on his fledging courage Albus held out a hand towards the other man. "Hi, I'm Albus Wimbledon. And you are?"

Ignoring the redhead the way he had Potter the day before, Christopher Worden had no interest in playing nice with the new exchange students. They were probably just looking to build up a rep by daring to talk to the vicious werewolf, he thought cynically. They wouldn't be the first, nor would they be the last.

"Do you ignore everyone or is it just us?" Al asked, already knowing the answer but wanting to get some sort of reaction from the guy.

Sensing that he was faced with two individuals who wouldn't back down easily Christopher showed his teeth in the way of an unfriendly dog. Or wolf.

Luckily at that moment a letter dropped directly between Albus and Al, the smell emitting from the letter immediately drawing Christopher's attention away from them. He'd never smelled anything like the lilac purple envelope, which teased his nose with a fragrance that made his head swim. He didn't know what it smelled like, but he loved it.

Completely unaware of the werewolf's reaction Albus reached out and picked up the letter, immediately recognizing the sender by the stationary and signature scent. "Our first letter from Domi." He informed Al as he opened it, eager to distract himself with news of how she was doing. She was his closest female friend and her take on the world never failed to amaze and entertain him. He could use a good laugh.

"How's she liking her new school?"

"So far, so good. Apparently they actually have mandatory classes in etiquette and social graces. You think they'll make her walk around with a book on her head?" He'd pay to see a teacher try to make Domi do that. Domi might be the girliest girl he'd ever known, but she was a Weasley woman too. And Weasley women were a far more dangerous breed than any werewolf or dark wizard around. Making them do something they didn't want to do was akin to putting a gun to your head and squeezing the trigger. Survival wasn't likely.

"If they make her put a book on her head she'll give it back to them right where the sun don't shine." Was Al's knowing opinion as he heaped his plate with hash browns. "And seriously, she doesn't need any of that training. Hell, we don't even need any of that training. Aunt Fleur saw to that."

Both men instinctively shivered as they remembered. Both had mothers who were lenient about dinner etiquette so long as the food got into their mouths and not all over the place. Domi's mother had taken it upon herself whenever they'd visited Shell Cottage to teach them 'proper' table manners. Whether they'd liked it or not. To this day, whenever they were around Fleur, their backs straightened like someone had shoved steel poles up their asses. Thanks to Al's Aunt Fleur they both could ballroom dance, play the piano, and set a perfect dinner table. All the Weasley and Potter children could. It had been that, or face a Veela's wrath.

"Well at least now we know where Aunt Fleur learned how to torture us so well."

Laughing the two friends grinned at the shared memories, forgetting all about the werewolf in front of them who was watching them with interest again. Digging into their breakfasts Al and Albus chattered away, recalling all their Fleur horror stories, laughing themselves silly. They both needed it after the strain of the last couple of days.

When it was time to head out for class Albus tucked the letter from Domi into his pocket and turned to do the same with the envelope it had come in. But it wasn't where he'd put it.

Together he and Al looked under the table and around them, but to no avail. Finally they shrugged it off, assuming that it had magically disappeared along with the leftover food while they weren't looking. One of the house elves would throw it away, and it wasn't like they needed her mailing address.

Neither thought to ask Christopher if he knew where it was.

Not that he would have told them.

)

But Christoper did end up telling Albus a thing or two in their next class together. It was Transfiguration and Christopher and Gellert were sitting together, with no other student within Christopher's reach. As per usual Gellert was the only one Christopher spoke to, and how he spoke was in sign language. It never occurred to the werewolf that anyone but Gellert would be watching him and thus able to understand their conversation.

'Your girlfriend and Potter tried to sit with me at breakfast today.'

Raising an eyebrow Gellert signed back. 'Last time I checked Albus was very much a male.'

'Well you'd know that better than I would. Do you know their Domi?'

'Never heard the name, why?' Filing that name away Gellert made a mental note to find out. Albus must have mentioned the name at breakfast. And Domi could be a male or female name.

Not about to go there Christopher changed the subject. 'Did you ask him to sit with me, since you never come to breakfast?' Gellert often did sit with him at lunch and dinner, especially when the blonde wanted thinking time with no one around to distract him. Since Christopher never talked, he was the ideal dining companion at such times. A silent people repellent.

'No. He was probably just trying to make friends with you. He and Potter are the type. Speaking of which, if you should decide to speak to him, tell him you're my friend.'

'Why would I do that?'

'Because you ARE the closest thing I have to a friend at this school. Albus will like the idea that I have friends. It will make me seem more normal.'

Normal was not a word that Christopher would ever attribute to Gellert. Who was, depressingly enough, also the closest thing he had to a friend in the wizarding world. 'The werewolf and the wolf in sheep's clothing.' Christopher signed back with the barest hint of a smile on his harsh lips.

'The reformed wolf in sheep's clothing, thank you very much.'

'Reformed my ass.'


	6. Time To Investigate

Time to Investigate

Smirking a little at Christopher's comment Gellert wasn't offended. It actually took a lot to offend him unless his intelligence was brought into question. And only a truly stupid individual would question Gellert's mental facilities.

'You know, you could just introduce him to Anya. She loves to talk about how wonderful you are.' Christopher pointed out, knowing just how to annoy Gellert. And nothing annoyed the brainy blonde more than being reminded of his number one fan.

Giving Christopher a dark look Gellert conveyed clearly with his eyes that the topic of Anya was not to be brought up again. It was bad enough at social engagements, when the girl hung off him like he was a coat rack.

Lucky him, class started then and the two boys turned their attention to the teacher, completely unaware that Albus had not only been watching but perfectly able to understand everything that was said.

When class ended Albus quickly summarized for Al everything he'd read the two saying before class.

"So now we have two things to look into." Al announced as they walked down the crowded hallway, careful to keep his voice low so that he wouldn't draw attention to their conversation. "How his knee was injured and who this Anya person is. Oh, and maybe we should add finding out more about Worden too. If he is the closest thing to a friend Gellert has. That whole idea that you can tell a lot about a person by the friends they keep."

"Well so far I can't say Gellert having a friend like Worden is a good thing." Albus pointed out dryly. "And Gellert seemed really annoyed that Worden brought this Anya up." He added, not wanting to admit, even to himself, that he wanted to talk to someone who knew Gellert and thought he was a good person. If this Anya was a sensible, intelligent person, then maybe there was some hope that Gellert really was somewhat reformed. At the very least, it would be nice to hear nice things said about Gellert for a change.

"Well first things first. We'll send a letter home, asking them to look into the knee thing for us. Our dads can make some discrete inquires. If the guy that messed up Gellert's knee really went to prison then there should be some record of the whole thing."

Albus doubted they'd find anything. Gellert might have been telling the truth, but he really doubted that his former lover would have turned the man over to the authorities. Gellert had always had little respect for government officials and the Wizarding justice system. If the man who'd blasted his knee really was in jail then he'd been put there by someone else. Which made Albus think Gellert had to be lying, because Gellert would never let someone walk away after harming him that badly. There was the slim chance that the authorities had gotten to the man before Gellert had, but Albus wasn't about to bet on it. It was far more likely the man was dead, a missing person thanks to Gellert.

"We should ask Nikolette about Anya. She might be a student here."

"Sounds like a good idea." Albus agreed, working up a smile.

)

They managed to find Nikolette at lunch and she promised to look into it for them. At dinner she took a seat beside them to fill them in on what she'd learned.

"Well I asked around and the only girl named Anya that anyone knows in relation to Gellert is his godsister."

"He has a godsister?" Al asked, spooning some peas onto his plate.

"Yeah, apparently she's six years old. Their mothers are first cousins and they actually live on neighboring estates. Nobody I talked to seems to know much about her, but I did learn one thing that might interest you guys. Apparently, according to a friend of mine, Anya was as intimidated by Gellert as the rest of us up until a year ago. She did a huge one eighty last summer and now whenever they're in the same room together she sticks to him like glue. And he LETS her."

Albus's surprise was plain. "But he doesn't like children."

That really didn't surprise Al given Stalanski's cold attitude, but he was surprised that Albus had been aware of it. His best friend loved kids after all. One would think Gellert not liking kids would have been a sign to Albus to not get involved.

"From what I gather, she's the ONLY child he's ever tolerant of other than his little brother. And my friend did say that he pretty much ignored her up until that summer too, which I thought was interesting. Any other questions?"

"Yeah, one. Worden is the werewolf you mentioned before, right? What do you know about him?"

"Christopher? Him I actually know something about thanks to one of my roomies. She's one of Christopher's step siblings. Christopher's dad comes from a majorly wealthy, buy themselves a country for the fun of it family. His father's a total playboy, always apparating around the world in search of parties and women too young for him. Christopher's dad is one of the nicest people you'll ever meet but also one of the shallowest. His mother is dead; the werewolves that attacked them when he was five killed her right in front of him. She was a Muggle and the guy's third wife or something. He's looking for his sixth or seventh now. Anyway Christopher has a few step siblings like my roomie but he isn't close to any of them. When they pass in the hall you'd think she wasn't even there. Not that I can really blame him for that, she's a total ditz. Why do you guys want to know about him anyway? I heard how you tried to sit with him at breakfast. Trying to talk to him is usually pointless. He's pretty much a lone wolf, no pun intended. He can't speak, he uses sign language with Gellert and a notepad with others when he doesn't have Gellert to translate for him."

"Could he talk though? I mean is it a physical thing or a psychological one?" Al asked, feeling awful for the kid Christopher had been. He couldn't imagine a world without his mum in it. And how much worse would the loss of her be if he'd been there and had to watch her die?

Nikolette shrugged. "Couldn't tell you. I'd guess physical though, he seems pretty tough mentally. A lot of people talk trash about him and he hasn't hexed a person yet. Anyways, I promised my friend I'd sit with her and her boyfriend always has to sit at the same table." Rolling her eyes Nikolette conveyed clearly what she thought of the boyfriend. "Catch you guys later."

)

Al waited until she was gone before he carefully posed the question he'd been churning around in head since his mind had played connect the dots. "Albus…you said you thought that Gellert's knee wound wasn't that old. How old would you guess?"

"Hard to say, especially since the wounds were never properly dealt with. But I'd guess about…" Trailing off Albus's eyes widened, forgetting what they'd learned about Christopher for the moment. "I'd guess about a year." Brilliant mind racing Albus couldn't help but think coincidences were hooey. A child and Gellert form a bond a year ago, after apparently being indifferent to each other. A strong enough bond that Gellert was willing to overlook her youth and gender, and she to overlook his often terrible personality. "But why would a child come to like Gellert just because he got hurt?" He said out loud, more to himself than Al.

"Maybe he got hurt protecting her." Al suggested, reading the doubt in Albus's eyes easily enough. "She is family after all. Or maybe she forced him to like her, since he would have been in no condition to get away from her after he was laid up."

So much of this didn't make sense. Gellert didn't like children and he didn't like girls in general either. His former lover had never made much effort to hide the fact that he found women to be overly emotional and prone to dangerous extremes. While Gellert had always been polite enough to Ariana Albus had always gotten the sense that that had been more for appearances sake than anything else. If the child had been injured somehow too then wouldn't Nikolette have heard about it through her gossip line?

"And the mystery thickens." Al stated, putting into words what they were both thinking.

"And how."

)

Heading back to the dormitories early to finish some homework before bed Al was surprised to find Gellert lounging about on one of the chairs in their common room. The other man was already out of uniform and dressed for bed in a tight black tee and cotton pants, apparently not caring who saw him.

"Care to join me for a moment?"

Raising an eyebrow at the invitation Al none the less put thoughts of his essay aside and walked over to take a seat on a chair facing Gellert. "What's on your mind?" He asked, having already considered a variety of ways that Gellert might think up to get him out of his way.

Gellert imagined that a great deal of people underestimated Al Potter. The other man had a handsome, easy going face and seemed about as harmful as a Pygmy Puff. He wasn't most people. He'd always prided himself on having good instincts where people were concerned and he'd come to the conclusion that Potter was a great deal like Albus, in that he was usually kind and peace-loving, but with the capacity to get almost as down and dirty as himself. And while Potter was nowhere in his or Albus's intelligence range Gellert thought him probably smarter than at least three fourths of the school population. So he wouldn't insult either of their intelligences.

"I was wondering why you and Malfoy broke up. He won't talk about it and I'm a curious person by nature. It's been bugging me."

"You mean you want to know what went wrong because you think that if you can get us back together then that will leave the field wide open where Albus is concerned." Al countered, settling back in his seat.

"Basically, yes."

Appreciating the honesty while being suspicious of it Al saw no reason not to be honest as well, for the moment. "You'd be wasting your time trying. If you haven't noticed, he's avoiding me." And not trying to hide it either, Al thought wryly. The man literally chose the seat farthest from him every time they were in the same room together. They were roommates, and Al had yet to actual see Scorpius in their room even once. If it weren't so depressing and weird it would be really funny.

"Did you dump him that harshly?"

"He dumped me."

That surprised Gellert so much that some of his thoughts actually showed up on his face. He'd honestly never once considered the possibility that Malfoy had been the one to end the relationship. Why the bloody hell was he acting like the injured party then, Gellert wondered, forgetting all about Al for the moment as he pondered. He'd assumed it was something like Malfoy being too jealous of Albus or picking one too many fights with him, leading Potter to dump him.

Amused by the surprise on Gellert's face Al supposed he should take some comfort in the fact that he was putting up a good enough front that his own feelings towards Scorpius were well hidden even to Gellert's eyes. Albus saw through him, but what else was new?

"I got the distinct impression he blamed your break up on Albus?"

That didn't surprise Al in the slightest. "He and Albus didn't and don't get along, no. That's partly my fault and partly his. Really, we broke up for a lot of reasons and we're both to blame. We were fifteen year old gits who were too immature, selfish and hormonal to make any relationship work. The story isn't interesting and it won't be repeated." Al added firmly, his gaze level and direct. The last thing he needed was a former evil mastermind playing with his love life. He screwed it up plenty on his own.

Gellert shrugged off the quiet warning like it hadn't even been said. "But you aren't fifteen any more." He pointed out, his mind already process the latest data. "And Malfoy wouldn't be avoiding you this way if there weren't still unresolved issues."

Issues he'd stupidly come here to resolve, Al thought darkly, remembering his own plans to clear up their unfinished business. So far he'd been too busy helping Albus with his to think of his own.

"You said there were a lot of reasons, what were some of them?" Gellert pressed, needing more to work with.

He was like a dog with a bone, Al thought in amusement, seeing no harm in continuing since it wasn't like Gellert could fix things between him and Scorpius. Nobody could. "Where to start." Al began, the list long and still somewhat painful. "Why not with all the problems we have that you couldn't possibly solve? That sounds like a good a place as any. The first reason would be the fact that he's a Malfoy and I'm a Potter and that our ancestors on our fathers' sides have spent at least a hundred years hating each other."

"I can see how that would be a problem." One he really couldn't fix either, Gellert noted in vexation.

"A second reason would be the fact that one of the things Scorpius and I have most in common is how much we love our families, to the point where we'd do anything for them. Scorpius's family not only hates me, but if they saw me being burned at the stake they'd roast marshmallows. And that would be before they knew I was banging their boy. They knew that and they'd not only roast marshmallows, they'd be the ones that staked me in the first place."

Gellert couldn't help himself, he had to chuckle a little at the mental imagery.

"It's funny only because you aren't the one who would be staked. But you know, MY family will do far worse to you if you hurt Albus. Just FYI." And now Al's grin was downright feral.

"And what would your family do to Scorpius if they knew he was banging their boy?" Gellert countered.

"My family is a little different from the Malfoys. They'd suck it up and be polite to him because he was mine. A lot of them probably wouldn't like it, but we've lost too many people in the past to let something like an unliked significant other cause family friction. My Gran, Mum and Aunt Hermione weren't big fans of my Aunt Fleur in the beginning, but they sucked it up and welcomed her into the family for my Uncle Bill's sake. I figure it would be about the same. When Scorpius and I were seeing each other most of my cousins and sibs there at the time knew about it, and they didn't give him any grief as far as I know."

"Why did it never make the papers?" This had puzzled him since he'd clued in to the fact that the two had been previously involved. That Harry Potter's son had been involved with a regular man had been such big news, wouldn't it stand to reason that a relationship with a Malfoy would have been even more so?

"Because we didn't tell anyone we were seeing each other. We let them think we were just friends. Anyone who knew differently figured it out on their own except for Albus, who I told. I found out later that a lot of my family and friends had clued in, but at the time they didn't say anything for my sake. It would have been over before it had really begun if Scorpius's grandfather had found out. "

Having met Lucius Malfoy Gellert had to agree with that assessment. He could also see what Potter meant when he'd stated that there were reasons he and Malfoy had broken up that he himself couldn't fix. Trying to change Lucius's mind about the Potter family would require an extreme memory charm or some serious brainwashing. And he'd seen for himself how Scorpius kowtowed to his family members wishes. He honestly doubted that his roommate had the spine necessary to stand against his family on any matter.

"Well you've painted a black picture for Scorpius, what did you do wrong?" Gellert finally asked, since Al had included himself in the being responsible.

Ah, now here was the less easy part. It was a lot easier to list all the reasons related to Scorpius, not so much to look at his own mistakes. But Al had been doing that the last two years and he'd shouldered his blame well enough. "The thing with Albus is my fault like I said. I spent too much time with him when I should have been making more of an effort for one on one time with Scorpius. With classes and us being in different houses finding alone time together was damn near impossible. And a lot of the times I dragged Albus along with me as a buffer…and a sort of Jimmeny Cricket."

"Jimmeny Cricket?"

"A conscience. I knew I was goofy in love with Scorpius, and that my higher brain functions tended to shut down whenever he was close by. Having Albus around helped me keep my head. That and I figured he'd step in and stop me if I wasn't seeing what I should." And here Al's voice took on a note of irony as he met Gellert's interested gaze. "A lot of it was that I was afraid of repeating my namesake's mistakes. I always had that voice inside my head I guess, the one that said I might get someone I love hurt because I was too busy thinking with my heart instead of my head. I let that fear influence my behavior, and that wasn't fair to him. Truth be told…that's still my biggest fear in the world. That some day he's going to accidentally kill someone I love because someone in his family or social circles got him in over his head. Because if he does… I know I'll kill him. And I still don't see how I could live with that."


	7. Thinking Deep Thoughts

Thinking Deep Thoughts

Watching Gellert's face Al figured he'd thrown out just enough of the lure that the other man was hooked but still unaware of it. It way time to retreat before he saw the pole. Getting to his feet Al brushed down his trousers than smiled to throw the man even more off balance. "And that's all I have to say about that. I'm heading for bed. Night."

Striding out of the room before Gellert could think to comment Al congratulated himself on a hand well played. He'd made sure Gellert knew that he thought him incapable of getting him and Scorpius back together. He was counting on Gellert's pride and arrogance to do the rest. At first he'd thought that he wanted Gellert as far out of his dealing with Scorpius as possible, but that was before he'd factored in the other man's effect on Albus. If messing with his love life kept Gellert busy trying to do the impossible than he wasn't after Albus. And his best friend was way more important than his own problems. Some would claim that what he'd just done was risky as hell, but Al was a man who liked to gamble. And really, the odds were so stacked in his favor it was a wonder he had even a tiny voice saying he might really regret what he'd just done.

"Are you sure that was wise?"

It took Al a moment to realize that it hadn't been the little voice in his head speaking, but someone else entirely. Turning Al found himself looking into a familiar pair of stormy grey eyes, Scorpius having snuck up behind him without him even noticing.

"What did you say?"

"I said are you sure that what you just did was wise? I've heard you and Wimbledon talking, you make Stalanski out to be some master manipulator type. I don't know if that's true or not, but if it is, is it wise of you to tell him stuff like that?"

Al blinked, registering both Scorpius's apparent concern for his well being and the fact that apparently his ex had been eavesdropping. "Just how much did you hear?" Al asked timidly, already feeling the dread. He'd been so focused on analyzing Gellert right back that he hadn't noticed they'd had company.

"Everything." Crossing his arms in front of him Scorpius leaned up against the hallway wall, his eyes never leaving Al's. He'd followed after Al because he'd known it was only a matter of time before Gellert tried to get Al alone. Not that he deluded himself into thinking he'd stand a chance against his roommate, but at the very least he could notify Wimbledon who would. That and despite what Gellert seemed to think, Scorpius was still willing to bet that if the redhead was asked to make a choice between the two, Al would win hands down. So he'd followed, never expecting to hear his former relationship with Al to be under discussion. He'd listened and had compared Al's observations with his own, not liking the fact that a lot of what Al said was true or could be. Not that his family would really roast marshmallows over Al's burning corpse, because that was just disgusting. They might raise a glass or two of champagne in celebration though. What really got Scorpius though was the discussion about Wimbledon's presence in his relationship with Al. He'd always known that Al had reservations about being involved with him because he was a Malfoy, but he'd never realized that Al saw them as paralleling the relationship between Al's namesake and that Muggle hater Grindelwald. If Al had thought them so doomed…why had he been the one to end the relationship and not Al?

"Well I don't think you need to worry." Al said quietly, interrupting Scorpius's thoughts. "Because really, what can he do with the information I gave him? He can't brainwash your grandfather into liking me, Lucius is too strong for that and Gellert wouldn't stoop to forced memory alteration. He manipulates people through words so that he can claim later he never took their free will to think away. And even if he did, the rest of your family would reeducate him ASAP. He might try to work on both of us, playing matchmaker, but we both know what he's doing and the pointlessness of it." And here Al paused for a moment. "And as for the last part…there's nothing he can do with that either. I mean he could try to frame you for hurting someone I love, hoping that I'd go off and leave Albus behind in his clutches, but that doesn't wash. He's too smart to think he wouldn't lose Albus right off the bat that way, if it should ever come out that he was involved. And it would, because I would make sure of the facts before I did anything and Albus would be with me every step of the way to keep me in line. And even if he could successfully frame you and I did forget all about Albus and went after you, he'd have to know that causing me pain would cause Albus pain. And I'd bet serious money he wants to avoid that at all costs. He's smart enough to know he needs to make me his friend, not his enemy."

Tilting his head slightly to the side Scorpius considered that, not knowing Gellert or even Wimbledon well enough to judge how they would or wouldn't react. But he knew Al, which was why he didn't ask if Al really would kill him. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that he would. Just as he would likely do the same in a reversed position. Or try to, Scorpius amended. Al was also stronger than he was, both magically and physically. But he'd give it a damn good try.

After a couple minutes the silence grew weighted, and Scorpius knew it was in his best interest to go. There was just one thing he needed to say first.

"About the last thing you said…you weren't right about the sequence of events."

"What?"

"If I did that…if I accidentally killed someone you love…you wouldn't have to kill me, I'd already be dead." Scorpius said softly, forcing his gaze to be direct and open. He wanted Al to know this was not a burden he would ever have to bear.

Eyebrow raising Al gave Scorpius a confused look. "What do you mean?" Was Scorpius assuming that someone else in his family would kill him instead, to prevent Al from having to do it?

"I mean that I would have already done it for you so that you wouldn't have to."

Eyes widening as Scorpius's meaning hit home Al didn't know what to say. And apparently Scorpius didn't have any more to say either, because he straightened and walked past Al and down the hallway towards their room. He was several meters away before Al finally found his voice, calling out Scorpius's name.

Pausing, and without turning around, Scorpius answered, "What?"

There was too much to say, too much to ask, to much to think about. They were all caught in his throat, threatening to choke him with their implications and questions. And so Al fought to clear it just a little, and relieve some of the tension in both their shoulders and hearts.

"Why couldn't you have at least lost some more hair since the last time we saw each other?"

Blinking, Scorpius's lips twitched a little as he realized what Al was doing. And he could met Al half way, and make this just a little more unbearable before it no doubt got worse, he decided.

"As your jackass of a brother always loves to remind me that will happen soon enough." Scorpius resorted, without turning around. "And you could have gotten a little out of shape since then, it wouldn't have killed you."

Chuckling despite himself Al could feel the tension receding a bit, the vice grip on his heart easing up so that he could work up a small smile. "Sorry to disappoint you."

"Likewise." And giving Al a short salute over his shoulder Scorpius began walking once more, Al deciding that he would wait a bit in the hallway, and give Scorpius time to retire for the evening before following him in.

)

Reclining in his bed later Gellert stared at the ceiling, his mind not on the homework he would usually be doing at the present hour. His brief conversation with Potter was on his mind and Gellert couldn't help making some parallels of his own. That Albus blamed him for Ariana's death was without question, and yet Albus had not pursued him into Eastern Europe after he'd returned home. He'd gotten the definite feeling that in contrast, if Potter were in a similar situation, the other man would hunt Scorpius down like a dog wherever he was hiding. Did that mean Potter 'loved' Malfoy more or less than Albus had 'loved' him? He honestly didn't know. Love was one of the few holes in his overall brilliance by virtue of the fact that it meant too many different things to too many different people. It made people weak or strong, happy or sad, together or apart. The world in generally would likely be better off without it clouding everyone's minds in their pursuit of it, Gellert thought darkly. He'd always gotten a kick out of that slogan, 'Make Love, Not War'. Please. Wars started because people loved money and power over others.

Was he the only one who saw the stupidity of love, seriously?

But Albus would want that again, Gellert thought with a sigh. The man was obsessed with love after all. And Albus was too smart to fall for his empty words of said emotion again. Which left him the question of how he was going to be able to keep Albus even if he managed to get past Potter and get back his man. Maybe he could get Potter to help him? Obviously Potter had the brains to know that love was a dangerous and often more trouble than it was worth. Then again, he'd gotten the distinct impression that love was something Potter also put store in and desired. Damn.

Drumming his fingers on his bedcovers Gellert wasn't sure how to proceed. And that irked him more than he could possibly put into words. But it had just been so easy the last time, Gellert thought to himself, coming perilously close to whining. He hadn't had to do a blasted thing to make Albus fall in love with him then. To this day he still wasn't entirely sure what it was Albus HAD loved about him. No one had loved him before Albus or after him in that lifetime. He'd just never been a loveable person. In this lifetime he was aware of the fact that there were people in his life who professed to love him, but they were family and therefore that love could be blamed on social brainwashing and natural instincts. Gellert knew very well that he was a source of constant worry and puzzlement for his parents, he was sure they'd replace him with a better son if such things were possible. Okay no, they wouldn't, but only because they'd feel guilty. And they probably preferred Tristan to him, though they'd never said so.

Not that he cared if his brother was the favorite.

Why oh why couldn't Albus still be like his present parents, who believed him when he lied and told them that he loved them and his little brother. Life was so much easier when people gullibly believed everything you told them. His life ran so much smoother too, Gellert thought sulkily. Now he had to figure out how to court Albus, which was something he'd never thought he'd have to do. He wasn't even entirely sure how one was supposed to go about it. From what he'd observed courting today amounted pretty much to listening to people screaming and calling it music, watching bad, plotless movies, and/or eating badly prepared fast food followed by sex. The last he could handle, but why did he have to do the rest of it?

Life was just so unfair.

)

Unable to sleep Albus lay in bed with his unread book in his lap. He just couldn't concentrate but his mind was too busy to let him sleep. He was already anticipating many sleepless nights as a result of the man no doubt sleeping like a babe across the room. The jerk. Closing the book with a thud Albus set it back behind his head on the shelf, a scowl on his face.

It would be so much easier if he could figure out Gellert's course of action, Albus thought darkly, absently brushing his bangs out of his eyes as he stared up at the ceiling. He and Gellert had once spent hours on a single game of Wizarding Chess, their minds too much alike for them not to be able to anticipate and block each other's moves. But he couldn't read the other man's moves this time around. Couldn't see what the goal was.

Why would Gellert want him back in his life? There were millions of reasons why Gellert shouldn't, but Albus could only come up with a couple reasons why he would. But was Gellert so hard pressed for company of his own mental acuity that he'd set aside all those reason to hate him? Because anyone other than Gellert would. The man had spent more than half his life in a cell because of him. That was definitely worth some serious hating.

Al had said something about him and Gellert having serious chemistry, but Albus figured that his best friend was just picking up on his and Gellert's shared mental wave link. They had a connection based on the fact that there was, to Albus's knowledge, no one in the world smarter than they were. It certainly wasn't a physically connection, which was what his best friend had been implying.

Okay, so there was a physical connection on his part, but damn, who could blame him? Trust Gellert to get even more gorgeous this lifetime around. He'd miss the long, golden curls, but Holy Hogwarts, Gellert's new body more than made up for it. Just thinking of what Gellert must look like naked was enough to start him drooling. He'd bet his whole library there wasn't an ounce of fat on that toned, yummy six packer.

And he was never going to get any sleep if he kept thinking about Gellert naked.

Annoyed Albus sent a dark look in Gellert's general direction, hoping the other man soon discovered that he had bed bugs or something. How dare he be so hot and so obviously available for the taking, Albus mentally ranted. And how dare he be tempted to go over there and let the bastard jump his bones all night long. And with that body Albus had no doubt that Gellert had worked up the physical stamina to-

He needed a C.A.T. scan, ASAP.

That or a straight jacket to make him keep his hands to himself.

)

Unaware of the mental anxiety his best friend was experiencing Al tossed and turned in his own bed, unable to get to sleep. Giving up finally Al turned on the light behind him and shifted around to view his reading choices. Something really, really boring, he thought to himself as his eyes went automatically to the ones Albus had lent him as must reads. Eyes catching and holding on one book in particular Al called himself a masochist for lifting it from the shelf, even more so for bringing it with him in the first place.

The book itself wasn't the problem, even though it had been a gift from Scorpius. It was what he kept taped inside of the book that made it dangerous to his mental well being. So of course, the first thing he did was flip to the book's back cover where the picture waited.

Watching a younger version of himself with his arm around Scorpius, then hugging him, was enough for Al to question his sanity. You'd have thought he'd reached his pain tolerance for the day, Al thought dryly, unable to look away. What got him every time was how right they looked together in this picture. He had a few others of them tucked away at home, but this more than any of them showed what they'd worked so hard to hide from everyone else. That they fit seamlessly together, like interlocking puzzle pieces.

Remembering Scorpius's early comment about being in shape Al had to smile a little, thinking what beanpoles they were in the photo. They'd gotten taller since then, and they'd both filled out too, he more so than Scorpius. But then again Scorpius was only slightly more athletically inclined than Albus. Would they still fit so seamless together now, Al wondered, trying to imagine it. They were still around the same height, and-

And better not to think that way.

Scrubbing his hands over his eyes Al cursed under his breath, than forced himself to close the book, returning it to the shelf. Where it belonged. Where any thoughts of him and Scorpius back together belonged.

)

Across the way Scorpius once more returned the photo to its frame, sliding the family picture in first to hide the picture he'd never been able to part with. Calling himself every kind of fool Scorpius turned off the light, forcing himself to lay back in his bed as he willed himself to sleep.

Was Al asleep, Scorpius wondered, his head turning to face in that direction, as though he had X-ray vision that would allow him to see through his and Al's bedroom curtains. He probably was. Al had always joked that he could fall asleep almost at the drop of a hat. Scorpius couldn't say what it said about him, that he sort of hoped Al wasn't. That like him sleep was a long way off.

He'd like to think they at least had that in common.


	8. Bar Room Brawl

Bar Room Brawl

One of the unexpected bonuses of being a seventh year student at Durmstrang was that so long as you were seventeen years or older you could leave school grounds on the weekends and go wherever you wanted so long as you signed in and out with your destinations and how you could be reached. You just had to be back by eight o'clock Sunday night or else the traveling privileges were suspended. This had greatly appealed to Al and Albus, who saw this as their chance to see more of Eastern Europe, which would allow them to spend time in other parts of the world when they went on their planned 'Around the World Trip' after graduation.

For their first weekend the two Gryffindors headed to the city of St Petersburg, where following the directions they'd been given sought out the store that was the Russian version of The Leaky Caldron. Once they were through there they entered the magical part of the city, spending the afternoon looking around and playing corporate spies for Al's Uncle George. The store they were investigating had contacted George a few weeks ago with a request to be allowed to carry Weasley products. George of course didn't like the idea of a store other than his or his daughter Roxanne's carrying their products. George, Roxanne, Teddy and James had come to meet the store's owners to discuss business, and they were meeting up with them later to discuss their feelings on the subject. For now though the two wandered the store, mentally taking notes, and both agreeing that the store was overpriced, poorly staffed, and obviously thinking to use the Weasley name to give the store a prestige the two arrogantly decided they weren't worthy of.

They did however find a store they loved, a candy shop that had them both riding a severe sugar high by the time they left, their pockets and backpacks loaded down with treats. To combat their hyperness Al let Albus drag him into a rather decrepit looking used bookstore, Al realizing only belatedly that the store was having a going out of business sale.

Needless to say they were in there even longer than they'd been in the candy store.

Leaving it with a shopping cart's worth of books Al could only be thankful that Albus had the magic skills necessary to shrink the books down to the size of galleons, which allowed them to carry all the books on them without putting their back into permanent disarray. Why Albus felt the need to buy out every bookstore he entered was beyond Al, but he figured it was Albus's version of retail therapy.

)

After some more wandering Al got caught up chatting with a very handsome store clerk, who spoke just enough English to make his interest in Al known. Since Al was enjoying himself with the harmless flirting Albus offered to head out and meet up with the others, and Al could join them when the guy had run out of flattering things to say in broken English. Al's ego could use the positive reinforcement.

Arriving at the designated meeting place, which was a famous Muggle bar, Albus headed inside and took a seat at the bar. He only belated realized that he knew the person he'd coincidentally taken a seat beside. Christopher Worden.

"Hi."

Albus wasn't the least surprised when he was ignored. The werewolf had made it clear in the past couple of days that he was not the least interested in making friends. Taking the hint Albus turned his attention to his drink as soon as it arrived, nursing it since he had a very low alcohol tolerance and this had to last him a while. The others were all running late apparently, and he'd worked his way through a quarter of it before a disturbance off to the side caught his attention. Turning in his chair Albus got off his seat automatically, setting down the drink as he took in the situation.

There were five men, all of them working class from their looks and builds. They had the looks of men who worked and played hard on a regular basis. They were crowding in on one of the bar's waitresses, who was being forcefully backed up against a wall by one of the ugliest guys Albus had ever seen. One who was about his height, though built like Christopher, which was not a good thing for him or the waitress, Albus thought as he headed in that direction anyway. Sometimes a man had to do what a man had to do.

"Excuse me, but the lady is asking you to leave her alone." Keeping his voice low but firm Albus watched as the men turned their attention to him, getting the distinct feeling that this must be what a deer felt like in headlights. Had they been wizards like himself there wouldn't have been any problem, but they were all Muggles. And he couldn't use magic against them, which meant that if they wanted to get aggressive, they'd do so physically.

"Scram, scarecrow." The man hissed in Russian, his body language threatening and aggressive.

"Not until you let the lady alone." Albus returned in perfect Russian.

Not the type for verbal arguments the man simply drew back a fist and without warning punched Albus in the face, Albus's head snapping back with the force of the blow, causing him to stumble back a couple steps.

Lifting a hand Albus's coolly wiped the blood seeping from his lip with the back of his hand. "And I'm sorry to have to tell you this but you hit like a girl." He might be a geek but he was a geek who had a former Marine for a father. He damn well knew how to take a punch.

This time when the man swung at him Albus moved out of the way and returned the gesture, plowing his fist into the man's head, yelping loudly on contact.

"OWWWW! Is your head made out of cement? Damn it, that hurts!" Cradling his hand against his chest, Albus was barely aware of Christopher coming up to stand beside him, too consumed with the terrible pain in his hand. It hadn't hurt this bad since…well the last time he'd punch someone with all his strength.

Rolling his eyes Christopher nudged Albus behind him, knowing Gellert would make his life a living hell if he let his so called friend's boy toy be beaten to a bloody pulp. Hopefully the 'otherness' aura he had would be enough to have them rethinking their strategy. Because if his presence wasn't enough to have them backing down the geek and Gellert were going to owe him big time.

All five of the men coming forward now, apparently not the least intimidated by Christopher, they halted when their attention was diverted by the four people coming up behind their intended targets with looks in their eyes that conveyed extreme pain heading their way.

"You got a problem with Albus, you got a problem with us." James Potter informed them with a daredevil grin, cracking his knuckles in anticipation.

Since he knew he would only be in the way Albus drew Christopher back to the bar, the two taking seats as the bodies and blood went flying. James went for the one with the bruise blooming on his face, rightly assuming that he was the one who was responsible for the blood dripping from Albus's lip. Teddy jumped in to take the next biggest one, leaving the other three for his Uncle George and cousin Roxie to handle.

"Come to Daddy, Bitch." One of the men called out to Roxanne in broken English, motioning for the girl to face off with him.

A grin on her face Roxanne walked forward with the Weasley swagger, her brown eyes sparking with mischief as she came at him, not surprised in the least when he reached out and yanked her up against his chest. Drawing her leg back Roxanne drove her knee into the man's crotch, following the move with a punishing right hook when he bent over in pain. "Who's your Daddy now, Bitch?"

"That's my girl." George called out as he smashed the heads of the two remaining thugs together, somewhat disappointed that he'd been stuck with the two weakest links.

"Always, Daddy." Was her cheerful reply. And since James and Teddy had apparently gotten the only two worth fighting the girl wandered over to make sure Albus was okay and meet the hunky hulk . "You okay, Alby?" She asked, taking his face between her hands as she looked him over.

"I'm okay, Roxie. My hand actually hurts more than my face."

Having dispensed with his moron, and confident Teddy would finish the other guy off shortly, James came over to do one of his very favorite things in the world. Flirt with Albus and make the kid blush like Rudolph's nose. "You hurt your hand?" James asked, reaching down to take Albus's right hand in his. "Did you tuck your thumb in again?" Cradling the hand in his James ran his fingers over Albus's, pretending to search for signs of breakage.

Blush at the touch Albus simply shook his head, knowing as always that James was playing him. Not that that stopped him from turning into a blushing idiot, but at least he never took James's flirting seriously. It was a game between them really, seeing how much James could make him blush.

"Well I don't think anything's broken." James announced, deliberately bringing Albus's hand to his lips for a quick kiss as he winked.

Coming up from behind Teddy whacked his little brother upside the head, ignoring James's complaints of older brother brutality as he reached out and took Albus's hand, since he actually knew what to look for. "You're going to want to ice your hand when you get back to school." Was Teddy's diagnosis, teasingly kissing Albus's hand too, just to get a laugh out of his little brother's friend.

Everyone taking seats Roxie deliberately took a seat beside the dangerous looking hunk who'd apparently been backing their poor Albus up. "Hi there, I'm Roxie. And you are?" She asked, fluttering her eyelashes teasingly.

The woman was very pretty, with milk chocolate skin and spiky, short black hair tipped with red. But Christopher automatically ignored her as well, since in his world women only paid attention to him because of his money or his father.

"This is Christopher Worden, he goes to Durmstrang too. He can't talk." Albus added, so Roxie wouldn't take offense to Christopher lack of response. She wouldn't take being ignored nearly as well as he and Al had.

Guessing the man couldn't talk because of the visible scarring Roxanne gave him a sympathetic look. "Well thanks for backing Alby up like that, Christopher. He's actually not too bad in a fight, but he tends to bruise a little too easily."

Christopher really doubted that, except for the last part. But he nodded, having been too well raised not to at least acknowledge her thanks. Besides, she had just racked a man in front of him. A woman that did that on first meeting was not one to piss off lightly.

Quickly Albus introduced the rest of the people, explaining how they were related to Al even though he was pretty sure Christopher could have cared less. He was just finishing up when Al himself walked in, the other man taking a good look at the unconscious men on the floor before crossing his arms in front of him, a disgruntled look on his face.

"You guys had a bar fight without me? You guys suck!"

)

Christopher had to admit that he found the family he was surrounded by somewhat interesting. The one named Teddy seemed the most like Al Potter, in that they both had that easy going, good ole boy aura that almost hid the fact that their eyes missed nothing around them. They were aware on every level, prepared to leap to the defense of those around them if another threat should arrive. They were likely the two most dangerous men in the group, simply by virtue of the fact that they would never play with their opponents like the other three. They'd just go for the throat and rip it out before the guy even knew he was dead.

James Potter and Roxanne Weasley also struck him as being similar. They were the sort of people who were happiest when they were the center of attention. Popular, outgoing and fun loving, they were probably as quick to anger as they were to laughter. Tough too, but they were the sort who viewed a fight as more of a game than a danger.

The final member, George Weasley, struck him as having once been a great deal like his daughter, and who was still trying to be. But there was an air of sadness, a sense of something missing that made Christopher think that the man tried to seem more happy and outgoing than he actually was.

Gellert's girlfriend fit into the family too, it was obvious that they thought of him as one of their own. They liked to tease him, but Christopher could see that Wimbledon took no offense. He seemed to like the attention, especially from the eldest Potter. Christopher wouldn't have said that James was interested in Wimbledon though, or even vice versa. They just seemed to enjoy their little 'game'.

Christopher couldn't wait to see what they made of Gellert and vice versa.

Of course they might simply absorb Gellert into their circle the way they seemed to be absorbing him. He didn't feel separate from them, or like he was simply sitting at the same bar as them. Whether he liked it or not they seemed determined to include him. They talked around him, always careful that if they asked him a question that it was something he could nod or shake his head to in reply. And Christopher found himself doing so unconsciously, forgetting to be rude as they bought him a drink and offered him some of the candy Potter and Wimbledon had picked up during the day, his enormous sweet tooth prevented him from declining.

Sensing that he was starting to like them despite himself, Christopher's survivor instincts kicked in. After all, neither Potter nor Wimbledon had told them what he was. Once they knew, would they be so eager to get to know him? Not bloody likely.

Sensing that Christopher was once again withdrawing into his shell Albus touched the man's shoulder without thinking and when Christopher looked in his direction signed his question. 'What's wrong?'

'You can speak sign language?'

'Yes. It was always a competition between Gellert and I. To see which of us could learn the most languages. So what's wrong? Are you not feeling well?'

Making a mental note to berate Gellert for not telling him the skinny redhead knew sign language Christopher hesitated, than answered truthfully. 'They don't know what I am.'

Understanding Albus shook his head. 'No, but it wouldn't matter to them. Teddy is the son of a werewolf. His father was bitten as a child too, by Fenrir Greyback. He and Teddy's mother were killed at The Battle of Hogwarts. Teddy was raised by his grandmother, and he is nothing but proud of his father. Teddy's father also taught Uncle George in school, and he'll tell you Remus Lupin was a great man.'

Christopher's eyes darkened slightly at the mentioning of Greyback, a plague upon his kind. His own childhood might have been a bit less painful, if people hadn't had that bastard to throw in his face. Looking over in Teddy's direction with more interest now Christopher studied the older man. 'So he's not a werewolf too?' He'd never met the child of a werewolf before. It was only in the last twenty years or so that sterilization had stopped being enforced on his kind in this part of the wizarding world.

Mostly because the local government finally realized that a werewolf had a better chance of ending up stuffed on some wizard's wall than finding a woman willing to bear his child.

'No. But his Animagi form is a werewolf.'

Christopher knew what that meant, but he'd never met anyone who had achieved that ability either. But now that he thought about it, he thought he remembered reading somewhere that Harry Potter had learned the skill and that he took the form of a stag, like the auror's Patronus. Interesting.

"Are you two going to keep signing behind our backs?" Al teased, desperately interested to hear what they were silently discussing. Christopher was actually acting somewhat civil, and was speaking, at least to Albus. And the looks Christopher had shot in Teddy's direction interested him as much as Al could see it interested Teddy.

"I was just telling Christopher that Teddy's father was like him." Albus explained, just to prove to Christopher that he wasn't lying about the others' acceptance of werewolves. That they were genuine in their wish to be friends with him.

"Oh yeah?" Eyes as interested as Christopher's now, Teddy nodded, a look of understanding crossing his face. "That's why Albus took you out of the fight, and why you let him."

"Why does that explain it?" James wanted to know, having been confused earlier by that too. A guy with that much muscle and badarse attitude wasn't someone you saw normally shy away from a fight.

"Because of what he is he can be jailed or even put to death for harming another human being, justly or not. They could have been beating me to within an inch of my life and he could still be charged if one of my attackers felt he'd used excessive force in saving me." Albus's voice was low, but the rest heard and were shocked, except for Teddy, who knew more about werewolf laws than most politicians.

"They can put him to death, even if he has a good reason?" Roxie demanded to know, her voice outraged as her eyes fired up.

"During a full moon here, killing him isn't murder. It's hunting game."


	9. Look Into His Eyes

Look In His Eyes

On their way back to their room Gellert and Scorpius were surprised to see Christopher walking towards them purposely. Usually the werewolf spent his weekends in the Muggle world, choosing to hold up in hotels where he didn't have to deal with anyone besides the maids and room service people. Apparently he'd decided to come back to school early for some reason.

It was only when the werewolf was standing right in front of them that Gellert noticed something even more interesting. "Do you realize you have red lipstick on your cheek?"

Eyes widening a little Christopher slapped a hand over his right cheek. It must have been Roxie, she'd planted one on his cheek when they'd parted ways. The move had been so unexpected and shocking that he hadn't even thought to dodge. A girl hadn't willing kissed him since…well since his mother.

Raising an eyebrow Scorpius wondered if that was why Christopher was back early. Was the werewolf running from a gold digger? That he could sympathize with. Most girls avoided Worden like the plague, but there were a few who wanted his fortune badly enough to overlook his condition.

Ignoring the look Christopher turned his attention to Gellert, having come looking for him. He blamed Albus for getting him mixed up with Potter's family, and putting him a position where Roxie and James were now determined to adopt him and find him a girlfriend. Apparently the fact that he'd never had a girlfriend was a travesty. He had not liked the gleam in their eyes at all when they left. Payback was necessary.

'You should go to your room now and see what Potter and your girlfriend are up to.' Christopher signed, keeping his face expressionless. And that being all he intended to say Christopher turned and started off in the opposite direction without a backward glance.

"What did he say?" Scorpius wanted to know, the look in Gellert's eyes just a little scary.

"Apparently we need to get back to our room. Now."

)

By unspoken agreement the two picked up their pace once more, reaching their room in record time. Together they burst into the room, taking in the scene before them through narrowed eyes. Albus was sitting on his bed, a brownish colored paste on his pale cheek, his lower lip swollen. Al was crouched down in front of Albus and the other man's hand was in his, Al running his wand over top of it while a swirling, icy mist omitting from the wand's end and curled around Albus's hand.

"What happened to you?!" Gellert was across the room in a second, Al falling backward/sideways as he tried to get out of Gellert's way, having to grab onto the bed curtain to keep from landing on his ass. Kneeling in front of Albus's now Gellert reached out to carefully frame Albus's face between his hands, turning Albus's head to the side to get a better look at the damage. "Who did this to you?"

"I'm fine." Cheeks going bright red Albus couldn't look away from Gellert, as if hypnotized. He'd never had Gellert fuss over his well being before. It was going to go straight to his head, he just knew it.

"He really will be alright." Getting to his feet, Al watched the interaction between them with interest. Not even James could get Albus that red that quickly. "His hand needs to be iced though, if you're taking over for me. We were going to go to the infirmary, but Christopher said not to. Apparently anytime anyone comes to the infirmary after six they're proscribed a glass of vodka and sent to bed." According to Christopher, the head of the infirmary was a kindly little old lady who also happened to be a drunk. Not even Gellert's grandfather had the meanness to fire her, so students basically toughed it out until she was sober during the day.

"Sounds about right." Taking over as Potter suggested Gellert took the injured hand in his left and used the other to retrieve his wand and take up where the other man had left off. "Are you sure none of the bones are broken? And you still haven't told me what happened. Was Christopher involved somehow?" He knew Christopher would never hurt Albus, the werewolf wasn't suicidal. But still, Christopher had known to send him here, so the man was involved somehow.

"Teddy checked it out for me. He said I just needed to ice it. And what happened isn't important." Albus answered, his blush spreading down his neck as Gellert continued to stare up at him.

"And it wasn't Christopher's fault, he was at Albus's side as soon as the guys attacked." Al added, since Gellert wasn't likely to let up until he had all the facts. "Basically what happened was Albus had to go and play knight in shining armor without back up and one of the other guys got a punch in. Albus buggered up his hand punching the assehole back. The guy had a head like concrete, as we both found out."

"Are you hurt?" Scorpius demanded to know, skirting around Gellert to get a closer look at Al. Wimbledon he could care less about, but if this son of a bitch had hurt Al…

"I'm fine, I missed the whole fight. By the time I got there the bastards were smudges on the ground. The guy that punched Albus woke up before we left though, so I got to use my soccer/football skills on the way out. My toes are just a little sore." Al explained with a wink, pleased that Scorpius cared enough to ask.

Annoyed that Al knew he cared Scorpius jammed his hands into his pockets.

"So the guy who did this paid?" Was all Gellert cared about as he pocked his wand, not wanting to overdo the icing. Running his fingers over Albus's hand and fingers Gellert confirmed for himself that whoever Teddy was, he knew what he was talking about. Nothing was broken or appeared cracked.

"Oh yeah. James kicked his ass good."

Knowing that James was the name of the eldest Potter Gellert assumed Albus's best friend was referring to his older brother. "Are you still in pain?" Gellert asked, watching Albus closely for signs that the other man was just trying to be tough. It was true that the infirmary was out of the question, but he knew a thing or two about healing magic. His knee had made the knowledge necessary.

"No, it's quite comfortably numb. It doesn't hurt at all." And since he was going all gooey inside over Gellert's concern Albus thought it best for him to get as far away from Gellert as he could without looking like an idiot. Or at least a bigger one than he was already being, getting all flustered over a little concern and interest. "Anyway, I took something for the pain and it's making me sleepy, I think I should probably turn in."

Sensing Albus's mood Gellert decided to let his man retreat, for now. But just to make sure he stayed front and center in Albus's mind… Leaning forward Gellert once again framed Albus's face between his hands, slowly brushing his lips against Albus's swollen lip. "Sweet dreams then."

If he hadn't been watching, Scorpius might have missed it. But his eyes had been on his enemy, so he caught the look in the other man's eyes as Gellert drew away after the kiss. Scorpius had never seen Wimbledon look at anyone like that, not even Al. He loves him, Scorpius realized as his lips parted slightly in shock. Wimbledon was in love with Gellert. The big L. The sort of love you never got over. It was all there in his eyes, for everyone to see. He'd never seen someone look at someone with such fierce and devoted love before.

Head swerving to see if Al had seen it too Scorpius saw right away that he had. But instead of the devastated or betrayed look he'd been expecting, Al simply looked bemused and interested as he watched Albus's blush and look away, while Gellert rose to his feet as though nothing had happened.

And now Al was looking at Gellert in much the way Scorpius had seen him look at people in the past, people who'd just started dating members of the Potter/Weasley family. Like he was considering whether they were worthy enough, but not making any rash judgments until he had more data. If he ever saw Al look at someone else the way Wimbledon had just looked at Stalanski…Scorpius couldn't even imagine the pain that would cause. So if it didn't appear to cause Al any pain at all…had Al always been telling the truth that the two were just friends?

Sensing Scorpius's prodding gaze Al looked over questioningly, but couldn't read Scorpius expression. It seemed like the only time he couldn't read the man was when he wanted to, Al thought with a sigh, his eyes prodding right back as they both tried to read each other's thoughts.

Having wisely gotten behind the bedroom curtain before he made a fool of himself, Albus's hand came out from behind it, latching onto Al's shirt to tug insistently, breaking Al's and Scorpius's eye contact.

"Looks like I'm being summoned. Good night." And before either man could comment Al followed Albus into the curtained bed, away from their prying eyes and questions.

)

Both sitting cross legged the two Gryffindors faced each other, the air serious as Al waited to find out why Albus wanted to talk to him. He didn't have to wait long.

"I need you to tell me the honest truth, no holding back, as my best friend. What do you think my chances are that I'll be able to resist Gellert?"

Understanding perfectly Al leaned forward to pat Albus's thigh, his green eyes solemn. Albus was a pretty self aware person, or he tried to be. Albus had to know that his heart had just been on his sleeve and that Gellert wouldn't have missed it. And it was damn hard to convince someone you didn't want them when you so obviously did. "You sure you want the honest truth?"

"Yes."

"Well...after the way you just looked at him...I figure he'll have you in his bed by Christmas. But if it makes you feel better, I'm going to do my very best to make sure you last until the end of November."

Staring at Al Albus had no idea how to respond to that. He'd hoped for some encouragement, some assurance that all was going to be well. He had not expecting his normally very optimistic best friend to so bluntly inform him that he was doomed. That he had just doomed himself and knew it made it all that much worse.

Understanding and sympathizing Al tried to find a bright side.

"Albus…he's almost as smart as you are, gorgeous and built. He wants you more than you want world peace and damn if he notices anyone else when you're in the room. So he's had some world domination problems in the past. At least we know he has good follow through."

Lips twitching Albus didn't know whether he wanted to laugh or cry. "Good follow through?"

"Well you have to admit, a lot of people are convinced the world would be a better place if they were running it. At least your man wasn't all talk."

"Not comforting." Deciding to laugh Albus shook his head, combing his fingers through his ponytail. "I think I would have rather he'd been all talk, thank you very much."

"Well it will be up to us to keep him on the straight and narrow, now won't it? And between the two of us and our families, how can we fail? If we can take down the number one wizard bad ass, the number two shouldn't be that much of a challenge. Not to mention he says he's reformed, remember?"

"Reformed my ass."

"And what a nice ass it is too."

Now Albus really had to laugh.

)

The next day Scorpius spotted Albus by sheer chance, the man mostly hidden by a bookshelf. Albus sat alone at a table, his nose in a book, probably completely unaware of anything around him. Staring at the other man Scorpius could feel his hackles rise automatically, his instinctual reaction to his ex's best friend. But he had a question, and knew it would haunt him if he didn't ask it. Because even though he and Al were through, he cared, he cared more than he would ever admit. So he sucked it up, walked over, and took a seat beside his enemy.

It took Albus a moment or two, but he finally sensed the presence of his enemy and looked up and over, his surprise written all over his face. "Yes?"

"You're in love with Stalanski?"

"Tell me something I don't know."

Blinking rapidly it took Scorpius a minute or two to process that. He'd expected flat out denial, or mindless stuttering, or even a book thrown at him for suggesting it. He sure as hell hadn't expected Wimbledon to just blurt it out like that. Like it was common knowledge a child should know.

"Does Al know?" He finally asked, feeling like nothing made sense anymore.

"Of course he knows. He's my best friend." Reading the other man's face easily enough Albus figured he'd need to be blunt. He'd never bothered to have this conversation with Malfoy, he'd figured that if Al's word wasn't good enough his would only mean less. But he'd say it now, for the first and last time. "Despite what you think you know, Malfoy, Al and I are not a couple. We will never be a couple. We will never love each other as anything more than friends, brothers even. I was never the huge obstacle you thought I was. I didn't and don't think you're good enough for him, but I have yet to meet anyone I think is. As long as you made him happy, I wouldn't have stood in your way."

"And you tell me this now?"

"Your fault for not just asking me how I felt about him. And for not believing Al when he told you, repeatedly, that we were just friends."

Scorpius had never wanted to punch Albus out more. And that was saying something. It wasn't like the annoying Gryffindor was the only reason he and Al had broken up, but he'd definitely been a part of it. To have the other man rub it into his face that he'd been wrong…well it was a good thing he didn't have blood pressure problems yet. And hold on a second...is that was true…

"But if you're in love with Stalanski, why aren't you two together? He's obviously interested."

"You've roomed with him this long, think about it."

Scorpius didn't have to think hard. His roomie was cynical, anti love, and a major loner. Wimbledon was optimistic, pro love, and was constantly surrounded by people. And while the two were both scary smart, Scorpius couldn't see what else they had in common. Though at least Al seemed to like Gellert more than Wimbledon had ever liked him, Scorpius thought cynically.

Albus was feeling depressed as well. He'd spent most of the night thinking about what he and Al had talked about, and he hated to admit that the man was right. He loved Gellert. He had always loved Gellert. He'd spent over fifty years trying to find someone who made him feel even a tenth of what he'd felt that summer with Gellert and failed. Al was right, the sooner he faced that the sooner he could move on.

Fate was determined to throw them together whether they liked it or not.

He was going to have to reform the second baddest wizard to ever live if he wanted to live happily ever after this time around.

Talk about depressing.

It was a good five minutes before Scorpius spoke again. "So you're just going to keep ignoring him?"

"That's the plan. He'll catch me eventually, but the bastard's gonna have to work for it this time."

As Al had pointed out to him last night, Gellert had never had to try where he was concerned. He'd pretty much handed himself over to Gellert on a silver platter. He'd never stood up to him, or made him alter his behavior in any way. Everything had been Gellert's way. This time, Albus was determined to change that. This time they were doing things his way. Or at the very least their way, together, Albus amended, since even a Veela could probably only make Gellert bend so much. But he had a voice and he was damn well using it this time around.

Raising an eyebrow Scorpius wondered if he, Al and Christopher should start a betting pool as to just how long Albus would last. Because if there was one thing he knew about Gellert, it was that the other man did not play fair. Stalanski was definitely an anything goes sort of guy. Albus was just too by the book to be much of a challenger. And since Albus had all but declared his feelings the night before…

Reading Scorpius easily enough now Albus scowled. "You think I'm going to crumble like an ancient ruin, don't you?"

"I'd put money on that, yes."


	10. Albus's Desecrated Skin

Albus's Desecrated Skin

Gellert sat on the couch and looked into the flames, mentally debating with himself. On the one hand he knew he should be pleased, that his life should suddenly seem that much easier now that he knew Albus had deluded himself into being in love with him again. But he wasn't. Because seeing Albus look at him that way again had reminded Gellert of the time when he'd believed the love in those sky blue eyes. He might not have believed in love, but he'd believed Albus believed it. And he could not, would not make that mistake again.

So he could use Albus's love against him, or he could continue with his previous plans to win the stubborn redhead over, hoping to secure his place in Albus's life with a bond more lasting than love. If Albus was determined to believe in that love crap again so be it, but Gellert wasn't going to count on it this time around. No, he'd continue with his original plans and ignore the love thing all together. Using it would likely only backfire on him, like last time.

When the seat beside him compressed Gellert looked over to see that Christopher had joined him.

'Deep in thought about something' Christopher signed as he stretched his arms out above his head, working out the kinks. He was dressed in a t-shirt despite the weather, having spotted Gellert on his way to a work out session. Thanks to Gellert's boy toy and friend he was now stuck without a gym to even work out in. Laps around the castle as per usual, Christopher thought bad temperedly. Which was why he'd stopped to bug Gellert, who he had a feeling was brooding over said boy toy.

'Bugger off'

Amused Christopher wasn't going anywhere. 'But you were the one who said you wanted us to be the bestest of friends, remember'

Not the least bit amused Gellert would have given the werewolf the finger if he hadn't sensed that Christopher was deliberately screwing with him to get a reaction. 'Shouldn't you be off somewhere scaring small children like a good little werewolf'

'A good little werewolf? Isn't that an oxymoron'

'Well you're a moron anyway'

Shooting Gellert a 'very funny' look Christopher was about to get up and leave when he noticed who was walking into the room, arms full of precariously piled books. Seeing a chance to annoy Gellert once again Christopher got up but headed in Albus's direction, walking to stand at the redhead's side since he was pretty sure Albus couldn't see over the books. Reaching out Christopher tapped Albus's shoulder, than signed when Albus looked in his direction. 'Do you want some help with those?'

"Thanks, that would be great." Letting Christopher take half the books Albus smiled happily, glad to see that Christopher's mellowing had continued from the day before. Not even noticing Gellert, much to the man's annoyance, Albus led the way towards his room with Christopher following behind, sending a smirking look in Gellert's direction.

After depositing the books on Albus's bed the two headed back towards the common room, Gellert still there fuming. Together the two were within hearing distance of Gellert when Albus happened to notice the tattoo on Christopher's right arm.

Much to Gellert and Christopher's surprise Albus reached down and turned Christopher's arm towards him so that he could get a better look at it. "This is really beautiful." Examining the tattoo of a large black wolf surrounded by dark forest, Albus admired both the execution and the way Christopher had creatively hidden his number code. All werewolves in Eastern Europe were required to be tattooed with a number that would identify him in the event that Christopher was killed while in his wolf form. Christopher had hidden the numbers within the tattoo, which covered the top of his right arm from wrist to elbow.

His blood pressure rising at the sight of Albus's hands on another man's skin Gellert glared at Christopher, who seemed amused by Albus's interest.

'You like tattoos?' Christopher signed, his surprise evident. He wouldn't have thought the brainiac the type to like that sort of thing.

"Oh yeah, and this was really beautifully done. It's so lifelike. Do you just have the one?"

Christopher nodded, thinking to himself how his grandfather would likely kill him if he were to get another tattoo. If it weren't for the fact that the tattoo hid his numbers, Christopher was fairly sure his grandfather would have made him have the wolf removed. Wordens didn't have tattoos if they wanted to stay Wordens.

Since he'd gotten the definite sense that Christopher had a hard time believing his genuine interest in the tattoo Albus's couldn't resist shocking the werewolf just a little. "Then I have more tattoos than you."

And shock he did. Eyebrows raising Christopher stared at Albus in surprise and disbelief. Guys like Albus didn't have tattoos. They got their asses handed to them by guys who did. 'Let's see them then' He signed, calling Albus's bluff.

Challenged Albus rolled up the right sleeve of his jumper to reveal the tattoo on the underside of his wrist. "Here's number one, the other two I'd have to take my jumper off."

Christopher had barely gotten a glimpse of the foreign language inscribed on Albus's wrist before Gellert was at their sides, yanking Albus's arm in his direction so that he could stare down at the tattoo in disbelief.

"What the hell were you thinking, tattooing your bloody arm? And there are more?"

Blinking in surprise Albus didn't know what to make of the outrage in Gellert's voice. "You don't like tattoos?" He asked in a small voice, thinking that his wrist tat was his smallest one. If Gellert had a problem with one this small…then what was he going to think of the one that took up half his back?

Gellert's glare could have peeled paint off a wall. "You have no business desecrating your beautiful skin with a bunch of tasteless pieces of poorly executed drawings. What are the other two of? Where are they? How big are they? They better be this small, Albus." Gellert warned, seriously pissed off at the very idea of Albus's milky white skin covered by some crappy ink drawings.

In some part of Albus's mind he knew he was supposed to be answering Gellert, but he couldn't get his thought processes past the fact that Gellert thought his skin was beautiful.

Taking Albus's silence to mean that he really wasn't going to like what else Albus had been stupid enough to tattoo on his body Gellert's scowl deepened. "We're getting them removed." Gellert announced, letting Albus's arm go so that he could cross his arms in front of him for added emphasis. "All of them."

"You think my skin is beautiful?"

Eyes narrowing threateningly Gellert looked in the mood to throttle. "Is that all you got out of what I've been saying?"

"But you've never said that before." Gellert had never given him a compliment about his physical appearance before, not ever. About his brains or magical abilities yes, but never, in any of their meetings, had Gellert spoken of finding him attractive. Did Gellert really think his skin was beautiful? The idea had Albus feeling more than a little lightheaded in delight.

Gellert couldn't begin to phantom why Albus seemed so hung up on his feelings regarding the other man's skin. Why would Albus care whether he found his skin attractive or not? It wasn't like having beautiful skin was a big accomplishment or anything. He'd complimented Albus plenty in the past for things far more valuable than physical looks, which would go away with age anyway. Not that he didn't care what Albus's looked like, obviously he did, but he would still desire Albus's companionship regardless of the other man's looks. He certainly wasn't one of those people stupid enough to desire someone only for their superficial looks.

Their amused bystander couldn't figure out which one amused him more. It was too close to call. And since they were both, for various reasons, trying to enlist him to be their friend, well a little friendly advice wouldn't hurt, now would it, Christopher thought with a decidedly evil gleam in his golden eyes.

Tapping Gellert's shoulder Christopher signed, 'I think you need to tell him you were serious if you want him to focus enough on the other stuff you said'

Gellert knew for a fact that Christopher had even less experience in relationships than he did. Which really shouldn't be possible, but there you go. Still, the wolf did perhaps have a point, and it wouldn't hurt to try.

"Yes I think your skin is beautiful. Why you think I'd lie about that is beyond me. Now can you please answer my other questions?"

"But why do you think it's beautiful? I look like a ghost during winter and in some places you can see my veins and stuff really clearly."

Raising an eyebrow Gellert was getting more confused by the minute. "Albus, I doubt seriously that you resemble a ghost in winter, and even then there are far worse things to look like. And the translucency of your skin is one of its appeals." Shaking his head Gellert looked very disappointed in Albus. "And why you've become so obsessed with your physical appearance is beyond me. But needing compliments and deliberately marring your body to gain social approval speaks less of you."

Gapping at Gellert like a landed trout Albus couldn't think straight and therefore blurted words out without thinking about them first. "Well excuse me but you never had anything nice to say about my looks before! Forgive me for being a little suspicious that you'd say them now when you aren't getting any!"

If Christopher could have laughed he would have. Priceless, he thought to himself, these two were absolutely priceless.

)

Coming into the room in time to hear Wimbledon's last words Scorpius really wished he'd walked just a little slower down the hallways. Shaking his head and pitying himself Scorpius tried to sneak past them without them noticing he was there while Gellert cursed under his breath in a language Scorpius didn't recognize.

Unfortunately for Scorpius Albus noticed him. Marching over Albus grabbed the former Slytherin's arm before he could get away, dragging him over to join the conversation.

Keeping a firm grip on Scorpius's arm so that he couldn't get away Albus gave the Slytherin his best 'don't mess with me' look. It was actually pretty effective, mostly because he hardly ever used it. "You said nice things about Al's appearance when you were going out, didn't you?"

Blinking Scorpius had a real bad feeling about this. "What?"

Repeating his question Albus was determined to prove to Gellert that he was not behaving like some narcissistic girl like the other man was suggesting in between cursing him out in Giant.

Looking towards the other two men for help Scorpius saw immediately that they weren't going to be of any. For the first time in Scorpius's memories Christopher was actually grinning, and Gellert looked ready to kill someone. Looking back at Wimbledon Scorpius thought that the redhead even looked close to doing violence.

"Well yeah…sometimes." He finally admitted, sensing he wasn't going to be turned loose otherwise. Not that he'd gushed all over Al about his looks or anything, but he'd commented a time or two about how much he loved Al's emerald green eyes and the way Al's hair stuck up stubbornly in the back no matter what anyone did to it.

"See? See?" Pointing a finger in Gellert's direction Albus's face was triumphant as he smirked at the man. "Even a Slytherin knows you're supposed to say those sorts of things once in a while."

"What's all the yelling about?" Al wanted to know, having been looking for Albus all over the place. Joining their little group Al was hard pressed to figure out just what was going on as he looked from face to face. Christopher looked happy, Scorpius looked annoyed, Albus looked smug, and Gellert looked murderous. Just what had he been missing?

Since his words sent Albus and Gellert into a heated argument in a language none of the others understood Al looked to Scorpius for answers, his ex just shrugging in his own confusion. Seeing that Christopher was his only option now Al dug around in the school bag he had slung over his shoulder and pulled out a notepad and pencil that he habitually carried with him, holding them out to the werewolf.

Understanding the gesture Christopher took the writing tools from him and quickly wrote out a brief summary of what was going on and why.

Reading over Al's shoulder Scorpius raised an eyebrow. "Wimbledon has tattoos? Since when?"

"Well he and I got our first ones as sweet sixteen presents to each other." His mum hadn't been terribly pleased, but he'd promised that if he got another one it would be to proclaim his love for her. That had calmed her down some.

Shocked Scorpius stared at Al. "You have a tattoo? More than one?"

Grinning at Scorpius's reaction Al shook his head. "No, I only have the one. Albus is the one who comes from a decorated family. Apparently soldiers and tattoos go together like bread and butter. Albus's dad has them all over the place and so do a lot of his uncles and cousins. It's a Marine thing."

Interested Christopher retrieved the pad and pencil and wrote out a quick inquiry as to what Al had had done.

Nowhere near as modest as Albus Al again shocked the hell out of Scorpius by crossing his arms in front of him, grasping the hem of his shirt, and lifting it up and over his head without hesitation. Shirt in one hand Al turned so that his right shoulder was facing Christopher. "Albus has the same on his right shoulder too. It's our house at Hogwarts." He added, as Christopher leaned in to get a look at the Gryffindor coat of arms.

In some small corner of his brain Scorpius knew he should probably be looking at the tattoo too, but he couldn't seem to make his eyes look away from Al's incredibly smoking hot body. All that taunt, unmarred golden skin stretched over a chest that had seen some serious development since the last time Scorpius had seen Al without a shirt on. The bulkiness of their school wardrobe had hidden just how in shape Al had really gotten in the last couple of years. Al was almost as built as Gellert was. Oh baby.

Feeling the heat of Scorpius's gaze Al turned his head to look over his shoulder, his eyes meeting Scorpius's stormy grey. Stomach muscles tightening automatically as heat began to build there Al couldn't look away as his whole mind and body focused on Scorpius's presence.

Since he couldn't enjoy Gellert and Albus's argument if they refused to speak something he could understand Christopher thought it wise to redirect the two's attention. That and if Malfoy and Potter kept looking at each other like that he was going to have to leave the room. He had no problem with them being gay; he just didn't want to watch them make out in front of him.

Tapping on Gellert's shoulder insistently until Gellert finally gave him his attention, Christopher quickly signed an explanation. 'The tattoo on Potter's arm is what your man has tattooed on his arm as well. Thought you'd want to see'

While Albus loudly objected to being referred to as Gellert's, like some sort of possession, Gellert went over and ignoring the vibes between Al and Scorpius got a look at the tattoo.

"The Gryffindor coat of arms?" Looking over in Albus's direction Gellert smirked. "Should have figured it. Your precious alma mater."

"I take this to mean you don't have any tattoos or a desire to get one." Al commented, forcing himself to look away from Scorpius, turning his attention to Gellert. Safer and better all around, he thought cynically.

"Do I look like I've suffered a brain injury lately?"

"Well that's too bad; I mean Albus thinks tattoos are pretty hot."

Opening and closing his mouth a couple times Gellert angrily crossed his arms in front of him. He was just too mad and frustrated for words. And if Albus thought for one minute he was getting a tattoo just to up his appeal than the idiot was crazy.

"Do you think so too?" Scorpius asked, unable to help himself. He had no objection to tattoos in principle, and actually thought Al's was kind of hot. Not that he would be getting a tattoo just to be more appealing to Al of course, he was just curious.

Also unable to help himself Al reached out and trailed a single finger along the shell of Scorpius's ear, lingering over the three studs at the bottom. "I do, but I'm still an earring man, first and foremost. Or at least where body art is concerned."

"Oh."

Looking in Albus's direction Gellert's eyes just dared Albus to say yes. "And I suppose you like earrings too?"

Not really all that intimidated, and starting to see the humor of the conversation, Albus shrugged casually. "I'm the reverse of Al here actually. I'm a tattoo man first and foremost with an appreciation for piercings depending on where and what."

"You don't have any though, right? Piercings." Eyes looking Albus up and down Gellert tried not to think of all the places people stupidly chose to pierce themselves.

Like Gellert Albus thought that anyone who pierced anything lower than their neck down was an idiot, but he could see how worried this was making Gellert. And he was human enough to want to get some of his own back, since Gellert had pretty much come out on tops in every other meeting they'd had since they'd found each other again.

So all he'd say was, "Wouldn't you like to know."


	11. Internal Storms

Internal Storms

Standing on one of the castle's turrets with arms comfortable crossed over the stone wall in front of him, Scorpius looked out into the night's sky. The sky was grey and cloudy, a lightening storm well in the process. The rain was coming down strong but light and Scorpius was already soaked from head to toe. But he was beyond noticing or caring, his mind consumed by the show nature was putting on for him. He was part of the storm, and saw himself in it.

Ever since he'd been a child Scorpius had loved storms, had headed outdoors as soon as one started if he could get away from his parents, who were convinced he'd be hit by lightening. It hadn't happened yet, but that didn't seem to comfort them at all. Scorpius figured there were a lot worse ways to die, especially when you were a Malfoy, but had always thought better of saying so.

He had for a time stopped watching, had been unable to watch, but those days had thankfully passed. Thinking of those days made his hand go to the ear Al had touched earlier in the day. He'd never told Al, but he'd gotten his first earring because of him. He'd overheard some of Al's female cousins in Diagon Alley discussing whether men should wear earrings or not, and he'd heard Al side with the pro earring cousins. Getting the earring after that had been an impulse, and he probably would have let the hole close up and heal over if Al hadn't kissed him senseless shortly after he'd gotten it.

He couldn't see a thunder storm and not think of that kiss.

It had been like it was now that day. It had been just before supper, most everyone indoors because of the crappy weather. He'd come out to watch the show, not really all that hungry or eager to share a meal with a table full of people who likely hoped for him to be struck by lightening. He'd been standing out on one of Hogwart's many balconies, his eyes closed and head tilted upwards towards the sky, water sliding over his face and body, soaking through his school uniform minus the robe, which he'd left on a nearby bench. It was then that he'd sensed another's presence.

He'd opened his eyes and turned his head, mind boggling when he'd seen Al Potter in the very same pose, head tilted upward, though the other boy had turned his head to look in his direction when he'd felt the questioning gaze. Al had grinned at him then, his own white school shirt and trousers drenched from the rain. Al hadn't said a word as he he's turned back to watch the sky, and he himself hadn't seemed able to find any. So they'd gone back to watching the sky, Scorpius aware of the silent company in every nerve of his being.

They'd stood out in that rain for at least an hour, not speaking a word to each other until the rain lightened up and the clouds began to dissipate. Only then had Al turned to face him, and had asked him a question that had startled him, so seemingly random and out of nowhere.

'What would you do if a guy kissed you?' was what he'd asked, and Scorpius had responded without thinking, stating that he'd break the guy's nose. And then Al had reached out, running the back of his hand over his cheek and said words he'd never forget.

"Then here's hoping it's worth a broken nose."

And Al had kissed him.

Up to that point he'd had no idea Al was remotely interested in him. He'd had a crush on him, but had never thought he'd have a chance in hell of even being friends with his natural enemy. How could a Malfoy ever hope to be liked by a Potter after all? Al had told him later he'd thought the exact same thing.

He'd never been kissed before, and Scorpius knew instinctively he would remember till the day he died every detail of that first kiss. The scents of fall and rain, of each other as they stood chest to chest, their hair and clothes plastered against their skins. Rain had slithered down their faces, cool in contrast to the shocking heat of mouths meeting, hands hesitantly, so slowly placed on soaked clothing and through drenched hair. Only vaguely had he been aware of the thunder, the sound of their hearts beating far louder in comparison. Al had tasted of the rain, the chocolate he'd eaten earlier, and the unique flavor all his own. He'd never been able to get enough of that flavor.

And it was while Scorpius was lost in remembering that particular moment that his senses picked up the presence of another, sharply drawing him back to the present. His eyes remained closed though, knowing exactly who it was who'd intruded upon his thoughts.

"You'll get sick if you stay out in this much longer." Was all Al said, the Gryffindor shoving his hands in his pockets as he turned around and headed back inside, his steps fading until all was silent once more.

Eyes opening then Scorpius felt the rain drops spill down his cheek like tears.

How appropriate.

)

His back up against the castle wall while sitting width wise on his bed Gellert silently fumed as he edited an assignment he had due for Arithmancy. He barely had to think about what he was doing, it wasn't like there was any assignment a professor could assign him that he couldn't handle with both hands tied behind his back. He couldn't even remember the last time he'd found school remotely challenging, which was unfortunate, since he could really use a distraction for his brain right about now. Anything to take his mind off Albus.

Gellert was still fuming over Albus's refusal to tell him whether or not he had any piercings, not to mention the fact that there was still one tattoo he hadn't seen. The way his luck was going it was probably horribly tacky or sentimental, he thought darkly. He'd wasted several hours now coming up with various possibilities, ranging from the names of people who'd played an important role in Albus's life to some sort of tribal tattoo. Tribal tattoos always seemed to be in style for some reason. Probably saving the worst for last, knowing his luck. He could tolerate the Gryffindor coat of arms, and there were worse things to tattoo on ones wrist than the eight symbols for the samurai code of honor, but still, he didn't like it. He really, really didn't like it.

Looking up from the assignment he wasn't really working on Gellert raised an eyebrow when his bedroom curtains parted slightly and Albus stuck his head in.

"May I come in for a couple minutes?"

Since there were few things he wanted more than Albus on his bed Gellert only problem with the idea was that Albus only intended to stay for a couple minutes. He'd just have to change that, Gellert decided as he motioned Albus in. Come into my web, said the spider to the fly.

Thinking along those lines as well Albus nervously crawled onto the bed before sitting up on his knees, absently pulling out his wand to sound proof the area so that their conversation would not be overheard. This was embarrassing enough as it was. And it could probably get much worse, he thought as he returned his wand to his pocket.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" Gellert inquired, amused both by the sound proofing and by the fact that Albus was so obviously keeping distance between them by remaining so close to the curtains and the exit they provided.

Taking a deep breath Albus launched into his planned speech before he lost his nerve. "I want to know if you really do find me physically attractive. And before you go into a rant about how I've become vain and narcissistic I want you to listen to my reasoning. One is that you've never said so before, and two, I know what a good lair you are. You're the best I've ever come across. Lying is like a spell or charm to you, something to be said to get the results you desire regardless of the consequences. I don't want to be lied to anymore by you. We are never going to remotely get along if you do. So I'm asking you, point blank, was what you said earlier a lie you told me because you thought it was what I'd want to hear? And if you weren't lying, why did you never say so before when we were actually together?"

"Seeing as we were sleeping together you would think the answer would be obvious."

"People sleep with people they don't find attractive."

Opening his mouth to point out that people who did that were generally prostitutes who did it for personal gain a new idea occurred to Gellert. Cocking his head to the side in deep concentration Gellert really thought about everything Albus had said to him earlier, analyzing the words, taking into account Albus's reactions and body language, Albus's comments about his manipulative habits. Then taking into account his past behavior, the determination and drive he'd shown for his past cause, and his decided lack of morals, well, Gellert suddenly had a very good idea why Albus could possibly think he would do such a thing.

"Albus…do you think I slept with you because I saw it as a way of manipulating you?"

"The thought's occurred to me. Often."

Since Albus was essentially calling him a whore Gellert knew he should probably be a bit more pissed off than he was. But truthfully, if he was being honest with himself, Gellert couldn't deny that in his past life he wouldn't have been above using sex to manipulate someone for his personal gain. Not that he had, but then he had never needed to go that far to get what he wanted since the Muggles had always made it so damn easy for him in that respect. And truthfully, after Albus he hadn't really cared overly who he'd had sex with. He had actually avoided the whole thing all together as much as possible, scratching the itch only when necessary. Since intellectual stimulation was his favorite foreplay…well to say the sex after Albus was subpar would be a major understatement.

"How will you know I'm telling the truth either way, no matter what I say?" Gellert finally pointed out, his mind still whirling away as he continued to analyze and dissect. "If I'm so great a liar, you've only my word, which you apparently have little trust in."

"I do know when you're lying…I was just really good at lying to myself back then about what you did and didn't mean."

Intrigued at the idea Gellert wondered just how much of that was true. Probably most of it, or at least the truth as Albus liked to believe it. He wondered what Albus would say if he were to tell him that he'd been more honest and real with Albus than he ever had with anyone else.

"So will you answer me?" Albus pressed, seeing easily that he was losing Gellert to whatever thoughts were going through the other man's head.

Turning his attention back to Albus Gellert considered various approaches, before deciding that blunt honesty was necessary. Setting aside his work and recapping the ink pot Gellert motioned Albus's closer with a wave of his hand. "Come here. You have my word I won't try anything."

Since he didn't remotely trust Gellert's word Albus simply crossed his arms in front of him stubbornly.

Not the least put off Gellert drew his wand and had casted the spell before Albus had time to register the action. "Accio Albus."

Flying forward Albus quickly found himself straddling his former lover's lap, one of Gellert's arms wrapping around his waist to hold him there while Gellert threw his wand onto the bedspread so that he could use that hand to effectively cut off Albus's ability to speak. Giving serious thought to biting Albus glared at Gellert over the man's fingers, eyes promising dire consequences if he wasn't freed ASAP.

"Just listen, then I promise I'll let you go." Mentally cursing again the difference in their heights Gellert looked up into Albus's eyes, his serious face in place. "In the past, and even now to some extent, I never saw people. They were just background, interchangeable blurs that I knew only as I needed to. People were all the same, and when we met in that graveyard I dismissed you like I did everyone else. I didn't see you, really see you, until that first night we had together. When I snuck into your house to talk to you and found you already asleep in your bed. I saw you then, and you were the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen then and now. I manipulated you plenty in those days, Albus but I slept with you because I wanted to. Because I wanted and needed you. My other goals had nothing to do with it. I didn't rhapsodize about your looks because I didn't realize you were stupid enough not to already know how beautiful you are. And that's the truth whether you care to believe it or not."

)

Drawing his hand back Gellert watched Albus watch him, the now deep blue eyes betraying nothing as they picked apart his words as he had done earlier. Gone was the blushing, stammering boy he'd been earlier, and he was now the Albus he remembered best. The Albus who was quite capable of shutting everyone out and revealing nothing. Strangely, he rather liked the stammering blushing more.

After a minute or two to digest Albus framed Gellert's face between his hands and gently placed the briefest of kisses on the other man's lips. "Thank you for answering me." Was all he said, moving his head so that they were cheek to cheek, closing his eyes so that Gellert couldn't see, couldn't know what those words meant to him. Wrapping his arms around Gellert's waist Albus simply held on and waited for Gellert to demand to be turned loose. Gellert wasn't the hugging sort unless sex was involved.

Unlike before Gellert was used to being hugged now, his mother and Anya seemed to like to do it with distressing regularity. He could tolerate it, especially when his mind was busy trying to figure out why such a brief kiss seemed so important somehow.

"You've become more affectionate." Gellert commented lightly, not returning the hug but not pushing Albus away either. He'd seen Albus and Potter exchange hugs and touches in the past week, simple displays of affection and bond that were at odds with the more reserved person Albus had been before. Public displays of affection had definite not been in style during their teenage years.

"I wasn't partially raised by the Weasleys before." Albus returned as a small smile crossed his lips. "My mother went back to work soon after having me and my father is not someone who should be left alone with a child younger than five. When my mother couldn't watch me I went to the Burrow to be babysat along with Al and whatever cousins happened to be visiting that day. Weasleys, especially Grandma Weasley, are very affectionate. It sort of rubbed off."

"And that's why you two are so close?"

"Actually, that's only part of it." Drawing back so that he could watch Gellert's face Albus grinned at him rather impishly. "Al is only an hour and twenty three minutes younger than I am. According to our mothers, who love to tell the story, he and I were even conceived on the same night. Al and I have been together since they put us side by side in the nursery."

"The same night?" Gellert returned with a skeptical look.

"Well you see." And now the grin widened. "My father and Al's worked together as Aurors and one day they were heading back to headquarters after lunch when the windows of a nearby shop exploded. Some kid disliked being told he wasn't old enough to purchase the Firewhiskey he was after. Anyway, our fathers went in, sorted out the mess, and repaired the window for the witch who had only just recently bought the shop. To thank them for their trouble she gave them each a bottle of her homemade liquor, a secret family recipe she told them. None the wiser they took the bottles home with them that night and popped the corks to share with their wives, unaware of the fact that what they were drinking was the soon to be illegal liquor known as Veela's Kiss."

"And they officers of the law." Smirking Gellert got the picture. Veela's Kiss was a banned substance owing to the fact that it took about a shot glass worth of it to have one's sex drive max out. Hence it being banned, since it could be used on someone without their knowledge and lead to sex that wouldn't have been consensual otherwise. It didn't take away a person's choice, but one apparently had to have a strong will to hold out against its affects and the cravings it inspired.

"Needless to say both our mothers were very happy the next morning, even more so when less then a month later they both found out they were pregnant."

"Do they still have the bottles?"

"Emptied, but yeah, or at least my mother still does. She keeps an arrangement of dried flowers in it on her bedroom dresser. She'd given up on having children you see ."

"Malfoy said your parents were older."

"Nearly twice the age of yours I'd imagine. My mother was almost thirty nine when she had me."

"And what happened to the witch who gave them the liquor in the first place?"

"Oh she and my mother are still very good friends. My mom was planning on naming me after her if I'd been born a girl. Thank God I wasn't, or I would have been Wilhemina Wimbledon."

"Say that ten times fast."


	12. Albus Goes Doggie Style

Albus Goes Doggie Style

Chuckling Albus grinned, sharing the humor. He liked to think someone would have shortened the Wilhemina to something like Mina, but still...ugh. "In the Muggle World I go by A.J. sometimes." He offered, though he didn't intend for Gellert to ever meet anyone that called him that. That would mean introducing Gellert to his father's extended family, which was never happening if he had anything to say about it.

"A.J.?" Raising an eyebrow Gellert gave Albus a considering look. "What does the J stand for?"

"Jackson. My father's family is very…patriotic. We all have first or middle names related to former United States presidents or war heroes." All his male relatives on that side were some kind of military. All but him.

Sensing undertones Gellert had a feeling that Albus didn't get along with that side of his family. Potter had mentioned earlier that there were military men in Albus's family, some of them Marines. Western armies were not known for their open mindedness where homosexuality was concerned. Gellert himself wasn't worried about his parents, they'd probably just be glad he was having a real relationship with another human being. His lack of interest in dating and getting laid was a worry to them. Apparently all teenage boys were required to be obsessed with sex in their eyes. The fact that he was the exception to that rule had led to some very awkward conversations with his father.

"Do they know you're gay?" Gellert asked pointblank, genuinely curious. Albus hadn't made an effort to hide his sexuality here, but the Muggle World might be a different story. Coming out in their past lives would have been suicide, and still was depending on where you lived and who was in power at the time.

"Oh they know."

When Albus didn't elaborate Gellert debated pushing that a little further. Since he had ever intention of being with the redhead for the rest of their lives Gellert figured he would meet these people eventually. He knew how to blend in with Muggles well enough and he knew the importance Albus placed on family, even annoying gits like Aberforth. If Albus could tolerate them than he certainly could. Unless they mistreated his man in any way. Then they were going down. Hard.

"Anyway, I should be heading for bed, classes tomorrow. And you probably need to finish whatever you were working on." Instinctively sensing where Gellert's thoughts were, Gellert knew all his tells after all, Albus thought it wise to get off the subject before he gave the other man too much to think about.

Lifting a hand Gellert ran his thumb along Albus's bottom lip. "I'd rather work on you."

Albus's gulp was audible.

"Good night, Gel." Forcing himself to be strong Albus turned around and started to shuffle towards the curtains on his knees, mentally berating himself for staying as long as he had.

"Albus?" Gellert waited until Albus turned to look at him before continuing. "You still haven't told me what the third tattoo is."

"You'll have to wait and see. If you can get my shirt off that is." And with a twinkle in his blue eyes Albus slipped through the curtains, leaving Gellert behind to ponder just how long it would take him to do precisely that.

)

Walking out of the classroom Al and Gellert walked side by side with Scorpius trailing behind them. It was the last class of the day for them and all three were eager to get out and forget all about the huge amount of homework they'd just been assigned.

"And I thought my godmother was tough." Shaking his head Al could pretty much feel his brains leaking out of his ears. His godmother, former Hogwarts Headmistress Minerva McGonagall, had always expected the best of him academically, and he had had her 'tutor' him plenty. Professor White made her look easy.

"Too technical for you, Potter?" Gellert asked, partly because he liked the idea of being smarter than the person currently closest to Albus and partly because he was curious as to the level of the other man's intelligence.

"I followed along well enough."

Opening his mouth to ask just how much he had gotten out of it the words died in Gellert's throat when he heard his grandfather's voice behind him. Head turning automatically Gellert saw his grandfather making his wave through the crowd, calling out for the students to move in a voice higher than normal. His grandfather was looking decidedly frazzled.

"Ah, Potter, very good." Relief in his voice the school's headmaster came over and grasped Al's arm, tugging on it insistently. "I need you to come with me now."

"Something wrong?" Al asked as he fell into step with the older man, Gellert and Scorpius following close behind, curious as to what was going on. Both knew that their headmaster wasn't easily rattled and if Al was involved in some way...

"It's your friend, Mr. Wimbledon. Apparently there was some sort of accident in the Potion's Lab." The Headmaster explained rapidly, his stride lengthening in his hurry. "I don't know how bad he was hurt, only that he's in the Medical Wing, with Mr. Worden. The head nurse thought it bad enough to call me in."

"What!" Gellert and Al said simultaneously, drowning each other out as they demanded to know exactly what had happened to Albus.

But the headmaster had no answers for them and so all four of them hurried towards the correct wing, Gellert and Al imagining the worse.

For his part Scorpius hoped that Wimbledon had been turned into a giant slug or something, but he didn't really wish the annoying redhead lasting harm. Al would never forgive himself for not being there and Wimbledon wasn't quite annoying enough to warrant permanent disability. Most of the time.

When the doors leading into the medical area came into view Al and Gellert broke free from the rest and ran, practically ripping the doors off their hinges in their haste to get inside. Bursting inside the two looked around frantically, eyes spotting the bulk of Christopher right away, but no sign of Albus. There didn't seem to be anyone in the large room except for the werewolf and…a dog. A big red and white dog that had gotten to its feet and was now leaping off the cot it had been lying on beside Christopher.

Recognizing it as a fully grown husky Al and Gellert watched with growing awareness as the dog raced towards them, both noticing its stunning blue eyes as it got closer. They both knew those eyes well, even in their new, furry setting.

"Albus." Al and Gellert once again said together in relief as they moved forward to meet him half way, kneeling down on one knee in front of Albus while Scorpius and Christopher watched with varying degrees of amusement.

Wagging his tail Albus nodded miserably, glad that they at least recognized him. That and the fact that he could at least count on them to be somewhat upset about his recent transformation. Christopher seemed to think the whole thing was pretty funny. The inconsiderate bastard.

"Oh dear." Looking over from behind his two kneeling students the Headmaster took in Albus's new form with a wince. Having a student turned into a dog, especially a foreign exchange student from another school was not good. Not good at all.

'The old lady has no idea how to reverse it.' Christopher signed as he came to stand beside Albus, having volunteered to babysit Albus until the headmaster arrived. 'That's why the Headmaster was called in.'

'Do you know who did this to him?' Gellert signed back, ignoring his grandfather's query as to what Christopher had signed to him. He just wanted the names.

Before Christopher could answer Albus started barking, the closest he could get to speaking. Turning around Albus jumped up and placed his paws on Christopher's chest, shaking his head rapidly back and forth, hoping that Christopher would get what he was trying to convey. Under no circumstances was Christopher to tell Gellert who had done this. The Headmaster was to be told and the culprits properly punished. There would be no vigilantism by Gellert.

"Gellert, does Mr. Worden know who did this?" His grandfather demanded to know, sensing the undercurrents.

"No, he doesn't." Gellert replied, though he could see in Christopher's eyes that the werewolf did in fact have a pretty good idea. But whoever had done this would answer to him, not to anyone else. His eyes conveyed plainly to Christopher that he was to keep all info about the attack to himself.

Having expected exactly this Christopher made no attempt to correct Gellert's statement. And despite what Albus wanted Christopher knew that trying to keep Gellert away from the culprits was like trying to stop the sun from rising. Seriously pointless. Even if the headmaster did find out who was guilty and punished them Gellert would still want a piece of them. His 'friend' cared about very few people in this world. Those who posed a threat to those select few would be dealt with personally, as they had in the past. Christopher had seen it.

Hopping back down to the ground Albus gave Christopher a dark look, which the werewolf ignored with the ghost of a smile on his lips.

"You're here."

All men turning their heads they watched the head of the medical wing walk towards them. Madam Ursula was looking relatively together, only Christopher and Albus's newly sensitive nose scenting the vodka on her as she came over to speak to them. She'd been nice enough when she'd looked him over but Albus had little to no faith in her medical abilities. It was obvious to him what had happened and what needed to be done, but not only was she apparently clueless, but she also didn't seem in any hurry to get him back to normal. She thought he made a very pretty dog.

"Do you know how to return him to normal?" The Headmaster demanded to know, too frazzled to bother with social niceties.

"No idea. If it weren't for Professor Tolkien telling me otherwise I'd think the werewolf was trying to play a little joke on me. The boy's a dog through and through now. Still got his brains though, or at least he seems to understand what's going on. Always wanted a husky."

A low whimper escaping Albus's lips he backed up a little to squeeze himself between Al and Gellert.

Looking down for a moment Gellert met Albus's pleading look, automatically lifting a hand to pat the other man's/dog's head. "Turning him back won't be terribly difficult, Grandfather." Gellert informed his grandfather absently, keeping his hand on Albus for reassurance.

"Oh?"

"He was in Potions when it happened. The culprit or culprits must have thrown in a vial of several components into his yet uncompleted Transpluration potion. They would have waited until it was time to add the powdered dragon's scales, the potion in a state where their additions would change the purpose of the potion and cause the contents to fly up in Albus's face. The vial would have contained belladonna, newt eyes, valerian root, shark blood and the hairs of a husky."

Barking his agreement Albus was so very, very thankful Gellert was there. It was apparent from the looks on the others faces that what was obvious to him and Gellert was not obvious to them.

Trusting his grandson, whose intelligence flabbergasted everyone on a regular basis, the headmaster was willing to take the boy's word for it. "So how do we go about reversing the spell?"

"I could create the antidote but the ingredients needed aren't here. It also requires the skills of a Potions Master, which was likely why this particular potion was chosen. Besides Albus I'm probably the only one capable of making it here." Gellert's distain for the Potions teacher was well known, hence the fact that he'd dropped the class when it stopped being mandatory, despite being the top student in it. "Albus's mother is a former Healer, it's reasonable to expect that she would be able to get her hands on the necessary ingredients for me. She'll need to be contacted anyway, I can write out an explanation for her so that she understands what happened and the needed ingredients, Grandfather. She'd be able to get through the red tape involved in obtaining some of the…more sensitive materials."

"Gellert and I can write to her." Al volunteered. "Save you the trouble."

"That would be fine. I trust I can leave Mr. Wimbledon in your care until such time as he's back to normal?"

"Yes." Al and Gellert replied for the third time together.

The head nurse was very disappointed to see Albus go.

)

It was four o'clock in the morning when Albus woke up, disoriented as hell as he got to his feet. His four feet, Albus realized as his brain cleared enough to process and recall the fact that he was currently residing in the body of a canine. Heaving a sigh of annoyance Albus flopped back down on his bedcovers, senses tuning in to what was going on around him as he laid his head on his front paws. He could actually smell his roommates, Albus thought to himself, mentally distinguishing them so that he could probably track them later if necessary. A somewhat disturbing thought. Plus his ears still hurt from all the noise his fellow students had made earlier, not to mention the fur he was missing due to everyone wanting to pet him.

So far being a dog seriously sucked.

Dinner had been embarrassing as hell. Al had had to cut up his meat for him and Gellert had transfigured his goblet into a dish so that he could get at his water easily. Those embarrassments had been second only to the fact that before dinner Al had taken him for a walk to do his business. He was just thankful Gellert hadn't insisted on coming too. That would have been icing on the cake. But no, Gellert was too busy talking with Christopher to come, though his former lover had stuck by him during dinner and afterwards. Protecting him in case someone else tried something.

He didn't know who had sabotaged his potion, though Albus supposed it was probably someone paid by that Natasha Yelchin person. She wouldn't have been in his class but he was sure she had the skills to talk a seventh year into doing it for her. She was the only one he knew of that had a grudge against him. Christopher knew who'd done it, and now Gellert knew too. What the man intended to do with that knowledge was enough to give him nightmares. He wished it was just ego that made him think Gellert would want to avenge him, but Albus was a realist and Al had told him that Gellert had been worried when the headmaster had told them about him getting hurt. If it weren't for the fear of what Gellert intended Albus would have been happy as a clam over Gellert's concern. Not to mention the fact that him being a dog probably through a real wrench in whatever plans Gellert had for him. Gellert didn't suffer disruptions gladly.

Wide awake now Albus knew sleep was beyond him. Lying where he was in the still darkness Albus's ears perked up a short while later as he heard someone up and moving around. Turning his head Albus watched his curtains part and a shadowy form he recognized as Gellert's looked in on him.

"You're awake." Surprised Gellert could just make out the gleam of Albus's eyes in the dark. Definitely awake and aware, annoying since he hadn't planned for Albus to ever be aware of his concerned visit. He didn't even know why he was checking in on him. Annoyed with himself now too Gellert let the curtains fall and headed back to his own bed without another word, settling back against his pillows as he picked up the book he'd left there. Turning his attention back to the pages Gellert looked up only when he felt eyes on him. Looking over the top of the book Gellert smirked a little at the sight of Albus blinking rapidly as if in shock.

No wonder Gellert was still awake, Albus thought as his eyes struggled to adapt to the light. The inside of Gellert's bed was lit up so brightly it was a wonder they didn't both go blind. After complete darkness it was one hell of a shock to the system. Why was it so bright? One good lamp should have been more than enough.

Not saying a word Gellert watched Albus hop up onto the bed, a quizzing look on his canine face as he trotted over. Gellert didn't have to be a mind reader to know what Albus was curious about. He wanted to know why he would have so many lights on at four thirty in the morning when he should be asleep like everyone else.

Not for all the galleons in the world would Gellert have answered him.

Eyes somewhat adapted Albus sat down beside Gellert, turning his head to the side so that he could read the title of the book Gellert was reading. He'd never heard of it, it must be really good if Gellert was this determined to stay awake to read it, Albus surmised.

Since Gellert was determinedly ignoring him and they couldn't argue or talk, Albus stretched out beside Gellert and decided to keep the other man company since he couldn't sleep either. Besides, Gellert had to go to sleep sometimes. He'd never seen Gellert asleep before.

"Taking advantage of the fact that I can't take advantage of you, Albus?"

Albus gave a short bark of confirmation.

"Figures."


	13. Gellert's Father-In-Law

Gellert's Father In Law

Slowly opening his eyes Albus once again had to blink like mad as he took in the brilliant light being produced around the bedroom. Looking over in the direction of Gellert Albus couldn't believe the other man had been able to fall asleep with all the lights on. Then he got a look at Gellert's sleeping face and forgot all about the blinding lights.

Getting to his feet Albus leaned forward, his tail wagging automatically as he studied the peacefully sleeping face. With his features relaxed and his eyes closed Gellert looked a great deal younger and innocent. You'd never think him capable of a misdeed, he looked so angelic. The perfect example of looks being deceiving, Albus thought in fond amusement.

The clock ticking the time away above their heads Albus looked over to read the clock's face, seeing that it would be time for breakfast in another hour. Curious as to whether he'd need to wake Gellert up or not Albus very carefully picked up one of Gellert's quills in his mouth and used it to press down the alarm button. It was set to go off in the middle of breakfast. Which made sense, since Gellert had still been awake when he himself had drifted off some time after five. Getting enough sleep to function was more important than eating. He'd get Al to bring Gellert an apple or something, Albus decided.

And since he didn't have to dress or shower for the coming day Albus decided to snuggle back against his man until Al got back from his run to take him for a walk.

)

Walking down the crowded corridor with Christopher and Scorpius Gellert was eager to get back to his room to catch one of his cat naps. He just hoped Albus wasn't hanging out there, though him needing a cat nap could easily be explained. He just had to make sure Albus didn't wander over to his side of the room again. He wasn't about to clue Albus in to the fact that the night before was the rule, not the exception. How he was going to keep Albus in the dark regarding his sleeping habits was still to be devised, but he was confident he could pull it off with some more time.

The three boys turning a corner together they all came to a grinding halt as they stared at the man making his way towards them, the students parting for him automatically as they moved to stand back against the walls and out of his way.

The man was built like a mountain, around seven feet tall with a chest resembling a well muscled wall. Even though his steel grey hair and heavily lined face suggested a man much older than them, no one was fooled into thinking he wasn't dangerous. The man had bad ass written all over him and to the bone. He made Christopher look like a playful kitten in comparison. This was a man who'd done everything and wouldn't necessarily mind doing it all again.

A smirk crossing Scorpius's face he elbowed Gellert's side. "You know how you're so certain that you'll end up with Wimbledon? Well meet your future father in law."

Mouth opening in shock Gellert stared at the man. This giant, no necked, muscle bound hulk was Albus's father? No friggin way. Watching the human mountain head straight for them Gellert couldn't imagine anyone who looked more the opposite of Albus than the man bearing down on them.

"Malfoy. Where the fuck is my boy?"

"No idea."

Tapping Gellert's shoulder Christopher quickly signed to Gellert that he was pretty sure that Al had said something earlier about him and Albus going outside to enjoy the nice weather they were having. Al had asked him for directions to the herb gardens.

"Mr. Wimbledon, I would be happy to help you find them. Christopher's given me some idea where to look. I'm Gellert Stalanski. Albus is my roommate."

Eyes narrowing Lincoln Wimbledon looked the boy over from head to toe, a skeptical look coming into his dark eyes. "You're the boy who wants to bang my boy, right?"

Just what the hell had Potter written in that letter? Doing his best not to show his thoughts on his face Gellert tried to answer Albus's father without giving the older man the wrong impression. "I'm interested in dating your son, yes."

"Hmph. Then here's hoping you're not as girlie as you look. Now lead the way to my boy, I don't have all day."

Girlie? Girlie? He thought he was girlie? It was the hair. It was always the hair. Stupid, damn curls.

"Did you find Albus?"

The three boys turning their heads a woman appeared at Wimbledon's side, Christopher and Gellert assuming at first that this must be Albus's mother. She was still very beautiful, despite her mature age. Her pure white hair was drawn back into a loose bun, tendrils curling around her elegant face and ears. Her dark eyes were as piercing as Albus's father's, and she had a presence that was just as intimidating in her own way.

"Dromeda." A smile curving his lips Scorpius nodded his head in acknowledgement of his great aunt. "What brings you here?"

"Madeline has caught the flu going around so she asked if I would come with Lincoln and prepare the potion necessary to return Albus to his proper form. You're well, I trust?"

"Yes. This is Christopher Worden and Gellert Stalanski by the way. This is Andromeda Tonks, my great aunt."

"I see. My grandson Teddy mentioned you, Mr. Worden. It's a pleasure to meet you." Nodding in Christopher's direction Andromeda was the picture of a true lady of the manor as she turned her attention to her great nephew's roommate. "Mr. Stalanski, Scorpius has spoken of you in his letters. I'm glad for this chance to meet you."

"Mrs. Tonks. Pleasure."

Nodding his head Christopher wondered if she was the mother or mother in law of a werewolf. Either way, she didn't seem the least bit afraid of him. What was wrong with Potter's family?

Once the introductions were finished Christopher bid them adieu and watched them head off, Andromeda with her arm through Scorpius and Gellert and Wimbledon's dad eyeing each other critically.

He was sorry he had to get to class.

"So they got any ideas who messed my boy up?" Lincoln asked as they headed off, carefully eyeing the blonde at his side. Al had mentioned the boy in his letter, and he'd been hoping for someone a little taller and a lot more manly looking. His brothers and nephews would eat this kid alive, he thought wearily. He looked like that actor guy his sister had been so crazy about years ago. The one that had been married to Reese Witherspoon.

"I'll be taking care of it."

The kid looked girlie, but he had a soldier's eyes, the former Marine noted in approval. Maybe there was hope for him yet. "If you don't, Al will."

"Don't think Albus can handle it?" Scorpius smirked from Gellert's other side.

Eyes narrowing Lincoln shot Scorpius a dark look. "My boy can handle anything anyone dishes out. He's just too damn, fucking nice. And I wouldn't look so smug either, Snake Boy. From where I stand there ain't a Malfoy born yet worth the money he blows on hair care crap."

Lips twitching Andromeda had to call upon all her Black genes not to laugh.

Smirking just a little Gellert deliberately didn't look in Scorpius's direction, knowing he'd have to laugh if he saw his roommate's face.

It was bound to be priceless.

)

Head whipping back and forth Albus was definitely suffering from sensory overload. Who knew things smelled so much? Everything had a scent and sounds and textures that he was discovering all for the first time. He didn't know what he wanted to sniff next!

Watching from a nearby tree Al leaned against the trunk and used his cell phone to record Albus's hilarious new life as a dog. It was too funny for words.

On the verge of digging into the dirt to see what was smelling so nice under it Albus paused, the wind bringing to his nose several scents layered together. Gellert and Scorpius's scents were familiar, but there were scents with theirs that were familiar as well, though with new layers that made those scents somehow more uniquely theirs. But Dromeda mixed her own skin care products so her scent was unique, and Albus could also smell scents he attributed automatically to his father. Could it be?

Turning his head Albus barked at Al to alert him and then took off in the direction the scents were coming from. Shortly the four came into view and Albus barked out another welcome as he skidded to a halt in front of his father, sitting down properly as he wagged his tail in greeting.

Kneeling down on his haunches Albus's father surveyed the damage. "Well at least they didn't turn you into a fu-friggin fro fro dog." One didn't swear around Andromeda Tonks unless one liked have layers of skin verbally stripped off them. The woman could give a man frostbite without even trying.

Barking in agreement Albus nodded his head.

"How's it going, Al?" Lincoln added as the boy joined them, a grin on his perpetually cheerful face.

"It's going. So you guys come to set him straight?" Al asked as he sent a smile in Andromeda's direction.

"That's the plan." She answered.

)

All further talk came to an abrupt halt as a current of magic was felt by all, four of them recognizing what it was instantly. Shoving Scorpius behind her Andromeda drew her wand, Albus stepping between his father and the point of entry, Gellert stepping in front of Albus to protect them both with his wand drawn.

A bright light flashing a creature appeared in front of them, tangled up in ropes as it screeched out in pain and terror. It was a Hippogriff, but so marred that only its defining characteristics gave away its species. There were only a few feathers hanging off its bald head and the fur was so matted with sweat and dirt that its color was indistinguishable. The only thing that was distinctive about it was its ugliness and the fact that its eyes were amber, not orange.

Two more bright lights flashed and out of them stepped two men, who automatically charged the Hippogriff, wands drawn and dark intent in their eyes.

"Hold it right there." When they paused Andromeda gave them a look that threatened dire consequences if they disobeyed. Turning her attention to the Hippogriff Andromeda raised her wand in the poor beast's direction. "Petrificus Totalus."

When the Hippogriff froze and therefore could do no harm Andromeda moved to stand between the men and the animal, Scorpius and Al flaking her protectively while the other men and dog brought up the rear.

"Why have you attacked this animal?" Andromeda demanded to know.

The smaller of the two men stepped forward and quickly explained that the Hippogriff was wild, and had been breaking into his property and eating his chickens. He and his son had captured the bloody beast and were on their way to deliver the animal to a man who specialized in killing the creatures and selling their hides. All the beast was good for, the man sneered, given that it was so wild and ugly no one would want to domesticate it.

"And how much will you get for him?"

Uneasy, as there was something about the woman that made him nervous, the man scratched his beard. "He said he'd give me between nine and fifteen galleons, depending on the condition of the hide."

"And if I was to give you the money instead? Would you give him to me?"

Everyone looking at Andromeda in shock the woman refused to answer their questioning looks as she haggled with the man. In truth, she didn't know why she was trying to save the wretched creature either. Her grandson was the great animal lover, not her. But there was something about the beast, something so sad about it, that she felt compelled to step in and at least try to help it. And if anyone could return the Hippogriff to its kind's glory it was her Teddy.

"I'd want the money now."

"Fine. Giving me a couple minutes." Retrieving her cell phone from her bag, a novel Muggle invention her husband had loved, Andromeda used speed dial to get ahold of her grandson. When he picked up she told him how much money she needed and asked him to come at once with it. Giving directions wasn't necessary.

Three minutes later another bright light flashed and Teddy appeared, settling his daughter more firmly on his hip as he took in the fact that the poor animal he'd come to help save was a Hippogriff.

His wife was not going to be pleased.

Coming over Scorpius held out his arms and took his cousin's daughter from him so that Teddy could go over and deal with the Hippogriff. Flora tended to think that all animals had to love her as much as she loved them. It was best to let Teddy calm the Hippogriff down first before introducing the girl to her latest 'pet'.

"Hi, Uncle Scor!" Flora chirped cheerfully as she leaned forward to smack her lips against his in her usual, exuberant greeting. Her hair was tied up in pigtails today and was rainbow colored to go with her tie-dye rainbow skirt. Her top was a plain white peasant's blouse and she looked damn cute in it. Which she was well aware of.

"Hi back." Scorpius answered, melting over her cuteness as usual. Her mother was a scary harpy, but he had to admit the woman's genes were prime. She and Teddy made good kid.

"Hey, Flora." Coming over Al accepted his kiss and returned it with a wink, doing his best not to look at Scorpius. He hadn't spoken to the other man since the storm, which had brought back enough memories to make him think some space was needed for the time being.

"Hi, Uncle Al! Where's Uncle Alby? Daddy said he got turned into a doggie!"

"Here he comes now." Setting Flora to her feet Scorpius crouched down with her, in case she got it into her head to lose interest in them and go chasing after her father.

Laughing in delight Flora wrapped her arms around Albus's neck as soon as he was in reach, the little girl rubbing her face against his neck in delight. "Uncle Alby, you gots all fluffy!"

Barking out a laugh Albus nuzzled his face against hers, delighted to see her as well.

Pulling back Flora now turned her attention to the unfamiliar man who wasn't paying her any attention at all. This just wouldn't do. Walking over Flora tugged on the man's pant leg until he looked down at her questioningly. "Who are you? I'm Flora Lupin, I'm four years old."

"I'm Gellert Stalanski, I'm sixteen years old." Gellert toned down the sarcasm since Albus was present, not that the kid was likely bright enough yet to get it.

"He likes your Uncle Alby." Scorpius told her, doing his best to ignore the fact that Al was so close, also standing guard in case the girl decided to make a run for it.

Cocking her head to the side Flora processed that. "You like my Uncle Alby? Even more than puppies and chocolate and ice cream?"

Raising an eyebrow Gellert nodded. "You could say that." He wasn't a dog person unless that dog was Albus, and he wasn't big on sweets the way Christopher was. He could do without them anyway.

"Wow." Very impressed Flora nodded sagely. "Okay, if you like him that much I'll let you date him. But you have to give him lots of hugs and kisses, and if you break his heart my Daddy will break you. Got it?"

Well wasn't she precocious? She and Anya would probably get along just swimmingly. He'd be wise to make sure the two never met. "Sounds like a deal to me." Gellert even shook the hand she offered, humoring her.

Deciding to like the boy with the curly blonde hair Flora turned her attention to the two uncles who were standing side by side and looking very uneasy about it. Uncle Al and Uncle Scorpius were still not speaking, she thought in annoyance, crossing her arms in front of her as she gave them a not pleased look, looking very much like her mother while she did it. "You two need to kiss and make up. Daddy says Uncle Al likes it when you kiss him best, Uncle Scorpius."

Note to self, kill older brother at first opportunity.

Note to self, kill older cousin at first opportunity.


	14. Flora Knows Best

Note: When football is mentioned I mean the one with the one and black ball, since my cast is largely British.

Flora Knows Best

Looking in the direction of his god brother and cousin Teddy got the killer vibes coming off them, unaware that the vibes were directed towards him and not each other. Wanting to prevent them from going at each other in front of his daughter Teddy called Al over, trusting that Albus would keep Flora in line if Scorpius didn't.

"Uncle Scorpius, you didn't kiss him!"

"He's too much of a coward."

"He is not." Glaring at Gellert Flora's hands went to her hips. "My Uncle Scor is not a coward. At least not in comparison to his daddy." She reluctantly added, since her daddy said honesty was always the best policy.

"Thank you, Flora." Changing the subject would be best, before things went from bad to worse. And they could get much worse, Scorpius knew this from experience. Flora had great ears and she remembered everything she heard. She also just loved to repeat things back word for word. "So how's your mom?"

"Mama's good. She still doesn't like you."

"And that's still entirely mutual." He and Victoire never made much of an effort to hide the fact that they didn't care for each other. His father had been indirectly responsible for her father being mauled by a werewolf, and she'd never forget it. He didn't like her because she had pretty much made his cousin her bitch. She totally considered Teddy her property and heaven help anyone who dared to suggest differently. Never mind the fact that Teddy was, for reasons beyond him, deliriously happy with his partly Veela bride. Scorpius was sure his cousin could have done better if not for the Potter/Weasley brainwashing.

Rolling her eyes Flora knew better than to try and get her Mama and Uncle Scor to get along. Daddy said that fighting was their way of being nice to each other. She didn't get that, but her Daddy was the smartest daddy in the world, so he must know what he was talking about.

"So this Teddy guy is your cousin, right?" Gellert asked, trying to put the pieces and the people together. "But he's also related to Potter?" When the older man had called Al over he had called the man bro, which would suggest so, but he was pretty sure that Harry Potter had only had the two sons.

Scorpius could understand the confusion. Trying to keep track of the family trees of wizarding people was tough as hell. "Teddy is my second cousin, his maternal and my paternal grandmothers are sisters. Or they were before his grandmother was disowned when she married Teddy's Muggleborn grandfather. Al and Teddy are godbrothers, but they've been raised as brothers all their lives. Teddy's parents were killed before he was a year old and Al's father stepped in as Teddy's father."

"Uncle Scor's grandma hates my GG even more than then my mama hates broken nails."

"GG?"

"She calls Andromeda GG. Short for great grandmother." Scorpius explained. "And my grandmother doesn't dislike your GG that much, Flora. They're just typical Black women, too stubborn to make up and apologize."

Albus snorted at that one. It would take a hell of a lot more than a couple sorries to patch things up between the two women. Their personalities were part of it, but the oldest Black sister had killed Andromeda's daughter and Scorpius's family had helped create the situation which had left the middle Black sister a widow with an orphaned grandson to raise. Yeah, an improved relationship between the two remaining Black sister wasn't likely any time soon.

"Oh shut up, Wimbledon. It could happen." Actually, Scorpius didn't think it would happen either. But disagreeing with Wimbledon was automatic to him.

"Hey Mister Gellert, you're really smart, right? All of Uncle Alby's ex boyfriends are really smart. Well, except for Thomas."

An interested look coming into Gellert's eyes the little girl had his full interest. "Thomas isn't very smart?" He asked, ignoring Albus's doggie whimper.

"Grandma Ginny says Thomas is as dumb as a troll that likes to eat lead paint."

Harsh, but accurate. Albus hated to admit it, but Thomas's main selling points were his tattoos, sweetness and willingness to give his boyfriends tattoos for cost. Hence the fact that they'd only dated a couple weeks. He'd got his back tattoo out of it though, and it was a friggin work of art if he did say so himself.

"Really." Looking down in Albus's direction Gellert was amused to see Albus lying on his stomach with his paws over his eyes. But since he couldn't quiz Albus about that… "Why do you ask how smart I am?"

"Cause I've got a question and no one will tell me what I want to know."

"What's the question?" Scorpius asked wearily.

"What's a man whore?"

Blinking, Gellert looked down at her in surprise. "In exactly what context did you hear that particular phrase?"

"That's what Auntie Domi said Jordan is. She said that's why Uncle Al dumped his ass. But I don't know what that is. I liked Jordan; he bought me ice cream and showed me how to kick a football."

Eyes narrowing Scorpius's hands fisted at his sides.

Gellert had little to no experience explaining such things to children, so with Albus glaring daggers at him he tried to choose his words with as much care as possible. "Basically your Aunt Domi was saying that he went around kissing and hugging other boys, not just your Uncle Al."

"He cheated?!" Bluebell eyes firing up Flora was so mad on her uncle's behalf that her hair went from rainbow to fire engine red. "That stupid goblin head! Uncle AL!"

Rushing over, assuming the worst, Al got down on one knee beside her, Andromeda watching intently over his shoulder. "What's wrong, sweetie?"

"Why didn't you kill Jordan for being a stupid man whore?"

Blinking in surprise Al spoke without thinking. "Your Daddy got in my way."

"DADDY! WHY DID YOU STOP UNCLE AL FROM KILLING THE MAN WHORE?"

In the process of getting the men to sign off on his purchase of the Hippogriff Teddy winced, terribly glad his wife wasn't around to hear their daughter.

"Sweetie, indoor voice, please." Teddy called over, sending a pleading look in his grandmother's direction. He needed the morons to sign off before they rethought the sale.

"And if your Daddy had let Al kill that odious man Al would have gotten in trouble." Andromeda added, motioning to her grandson that she had this. "And, Flora, ladies do not use words like man whore."

Flora considered pointing out that her aunt had used that word, but didn't want to get her in trouble. "Okay."

"That guy you were photographed kissing cheated on you?" The man in the infamous picture had been identified as Jordan Naveen, and Scorpius had often used that picture for target practice. He'd memorized that article and ever article involving Al and his so called boyfriend. That was a name he'd never forget.

"Monogamy is a foreign concept to him." Al acknowledged.

Talking about Jordan was never a fun experience, and Al hated the idea of Scorpius thinking he was the sort of idiot to be taken in by the charms of a man whore. He'd known exactly what he was getting into when he'd agreed to date the football player. But if he told them that then they'd want to know why he'd dated the guy in the first place and things would just spiral downward from there. And it was better they thought that he'd kicked Jordan's ass over the cheating than the truth. Not even Albus knew the complete truth.

"You're better off without him then."

"Yeah, Uncle Scor is much better for you." Flora agreed.

Both men silently acknowledging the fact that that was true, though neither was willing to say so aloud.

Even Albus agreed with her, as much as it pained him.

Watching and seeing no more fireworks Teddy decided the latest argument Jordan's name had inspired was over. God but he wanted to shove a couple of that prat's footballs up the bastard's ass. No one in the family knew precisely what the prick had done, and Al had forbidden them from going after or questioning the footballer. All they knew for sure was that Al had dumped the older man during Christmas break last year and then something happened during Easter Break that had caused Al to go after the other man with the intent to beat him possibly to death with his bare hands. As he'd been the one to pull Al off Jordan Teddy could testify to the fact that Al had been dead serious in his intent.

And it hadn't been the cheating, Teddy mused. Al honestly hadn't seemed to care that Jordan had been screwing around behind his back while he was at Hogwarts. Al hadn't cared a whit about Jordan either, in Teddy's opinion. So then just what had happened during Easter?

"Here you go." Having finished signing off as a witness Lincoln handed over the papers to Teddy. "It's all yours as soon as you sign off."

"So it is." Teddy agreed, forcing his mind back to the present.

)

Soon enough all the papers were signed and the men left, money in pocket, thinking they'd swindled the Lupins good. As soon as they were gone Teddy did a little moonwalk dancing that had Flora clapping her hands in delight as she ran over to him.

"Why are you so happy?" Andromeda wanted to know as she watched her grandson pick up her great granddaughter and throw her up into the air with a happy war cry.

"Because you've just made your family a lot of money." Gellert informed her.

"I did what?"

"Because that's no ordinary Hippogriff." Gellert explained. "You probably thought its lack of feathers was a result of its situation or capture, but that's a rare Golden Hippogriff. They grow up with regular brown feathers, than shed them when they mature enough to start breeding. The feathers come back and turn gold a few weeks after the brown are shed. The eyes are what give it away. Those men know nothing about Hippogriffs; if they did they'd have known they were sitting on a gold mine. The breeding fees he'll get for it alone will more than pay for his care a hundred times over."

"He's not going to be ugly forever?" Flora asked, more delighted about that then the breeding fees, whatever that was.

"No, he's going to be the most beautiful Hippogriff you've ever seen." Teddy informed her as he threw her up in the air again, easily catching her on her way down. "And now your Mama won't kill me dead for bringing him home."

"Well that's good. I wouldn't want you to be dead, Daddy."

"And she'd do it too." Scorpius muttered under his breath as he helped Al severe the ropes tangled up around the still immobilized Hippogriff.

Rolling his eyes Al knew better than to try and convince Scorpius that Victoire wasn't the devil incarnate. Actually, as much as they'd both deny it, Al thought the two rather liked fighting with each other.

With his wand Al quickly created a new rope and manipulated it into a halter for the animal. Testing its durability Al nodded in satisfaction. "Teddy, this should hold him."

"Thanks, Bro." Setting his daughter back on her feet Teddy came over and took the lead attached to the halter. "Looks good. I think you can undo the spell now, Grandmother."

Raising her wand Andromeda undid the holding spell, the Hippogriff coming back to life with vigor. Bucking wildly the animal's eyes rolled in fear as it strained against the lead, frantically trying to escape. But Teddy had a tight grip and a soothing voice, soon calming the beast down enough to have the Hippogriff staying relatively in one place. It was still scared, but in time everyone knew Teddy would earn its trust. Animals always seemed to sense, somehow, that he wasn't without animal genes as well.

)

Everyone agreeing it was for the best Teddy transported the Hippogriff home, leaving his daughter in the care of his grandmother. Once Teddy was gone they all headed back into the school, finding an empty classroom to mix together the ingredients necessary for Albus's re-transformation. With Gellert supervising Andromeda created the potion, putting it into a bowl for Albus to lick up.

"He should be back to normal in the next forty eight hours. It all depends on how much of the tampered potion got into his system." Andromeda announced as she packed the leftover ingredients into her satchel.

"Good. Which reminds me, your mom wanted a picture of you, boy." Pulling out his cell phone Lincoln aimed it in his son's direction, grinning when Albus got into a begging position, tilting his furry head to the side in a dejected, sad pose. Yup, his wife would definitely get a kick out of it, he thought as he snapped the picture.

"I wish Uncle Alby could stay a fluffy doggie forever."

"Me too." Scorpius agreed with a wink in Flora's direction.

Albus growled to let the former Slytherin know what he thought of that idea.

"You don't have anything in that satchel that would make him lose his hair faster, would you?" Lincoln asked, sending a dark look in Scorpius's direction. The only good Malfoy was a dead Malfoy as far as he was concerned.

"He won't lose his hair."

"What do you mean?" Gellert asked. He'd met Scorpius's grandfather and father after all. He'd seen what was in store for Scorpius in the hair loss department. Not to mention the expensive hair products he knew his roomie used for that specific reason.

"I mean that there's no reason why his hair shouldn't be as full and becoming as his great grandfather's was." Andromeda returned, understanding the confused looks on everyone's face. Unlike her they had no reason to be familiar with the Malfoy family heritage. "The hair loss began with Lucius, Mr. Stalanski. Before that all the Malfoy men had very luxurious hair. They were known for it in fact."

"Wait…so why will I be like my great grandfather and not my grandfather or father?" Scorpius had seen the family portraits, so he knew she was right about his past ancestors. But how could she be so sure he'd be different, when the last two generations were both showing serious forehead.

"Because I undid the spell. Surely you've noticed, Scorpius." It hadn't even occurred to her that he wouldn't. "You have only to look at pictures of your father at your age to know that your hair is nowhere near as bad as his was. Why, you don't need your bangs at all."

"What spell, exactly?" Al wanted to know.

"The one I put on Lucius to cause his balding of course."

Every jaw but Gellert and Flora's dropping Andromeda raised a dark eyebrow at her shocked audiences' reactions. Apparently an explanation was in order. "I take that to mean that Lucius never owned up to the fact that he was entirely to blame for his and Draco's hair problems?"

Scorpius could just shake his head dumbly.

"Figures. The man never has accepted responsibility for his actions." Shaking her head as well Andromeda thought for what seemed like the billionth time that she would never understand what her little sister saw in Lucius Malfoy. "Well as I said the Malfoy men were known for their hair and Lucius was always particularly vain about his. When he and Cissy were in their final year at Hogwarts it came to my attention that Celesta Edwards was trying to break them up and unfortunately, in my sister's eyes anyway, she was having some success with that. Cissy caught the two of them snogging and for a time they stopped seeing each other. Now I had warned Lucius as to what would happen if he mistreated my baby sister and he unwisely, obviously, called my bluff. Apparently he thought that Cissy disowning me meant that I had disowned her as well. He soon learned differently."

"Does grandmother know you did this?"

"I would imagine not. It's not like Cissy and I have spoken since the day my parents threw me out of the family. Not to mention the fact that Lucius is not the sort of man to admit someone, especially a woman, got the better of him."

"How did you do it?" Al wanted to know, admiration in his eyes as he eagerly awaited the rest of the story.

"Now that would be telling." The witch said with the hint of a very Black smile. "Though I have to admit I never thought the condition would be passed down to Draco. That was entirely unexpected. But I decided he deserved the lack of hair too, so I didn't bother to correct it. I've already given you the antidote, Scorpius, as your present hair situation will attest."

"So you're saying…I'm never going to go bald? I can grow out these stupid bangs and wear my hair slicked back the way I used to?"

"If you like."

Making a sound very similar to his cousin's earlier war whoop Scorpius grinned, framed Al's face between his hands, and gave the man a smacking kiss on the lips before punching his fist in the air in victory. "Yes. No more bald jokes for me. Just wait till your stupid broth-oh shit."

Realizing what he'd just done Scorpius stared at Al, trying to come up with something to say and failing horribly.

"No worries." Al assured him, doing his best not to react too much, a small smile slipping through.

"See, I told you you'd both feel better if you snogged." Rolling her eyes Flora shook her head at her two uncles. "This is why people should always do what I tell them. I'm ALWAYS right."


	15. Albus's New Shadow

Albus's New Shadow

Classes were still going on so the visitors from Britain soon left, Flora disappointed she couldn't stay longer and meet the werewolf named Christopher. Al promised to introduce her at the next opportunity, which she was sure to hold him to.

The rest of the day went by without major incident. Albus was still a dog come bed time and at one a.m. in the morning he followed Gellert out of the room, the other man reluctantly allowing Albus to come into the common room with him. Together they paced back and forth, Gellert struggling to work the cramp off while Albus silently communicated his concern and sympathy with every upward glance. They walked in tandem for well over an hour, than turned in for bed, Gellert deliberately using magic to prevent Albus from being able to enter his bed. As much as he loved the idea of Albus being there, now was not the time.

The next day started with the news that the female half of the Beaubaxton exchange had left. Apparently Albus's transformation was the last straw in a long list of complaints. It was also whispered that her male schoolmate might be following her soon enough.

Albus was back to his human form by the end of that day, and was very thankful for it. No one was formally disciplined for the accident, and as far as Albus knew Gellert hadn't caused problems for anyone, which was an added bonus. Since the transformation had been reversed so easily Albus expected another attack sooner rather than later. So he was on guard when he and Al went out that weekend for some sightseeing. And because they were on their guard they both soon realized they had someone shadowing them.

Neither betrayed this knowledge, they carefully headed for an alley and then spun around in tandem, wands drawn.

"Come out now." Albus ordered, eyes narrowed. "You've been following us for over an hour. You haven't attacked, so this is your chance to reveal yourself and walk away without injury. And we will injury you is necessary."

The two didn't have long to wait. Before them appeared a house elf, but not like any house elf they'd ever seen. It wore a tailored, pinstriped suit and a matching fedora, looking like a miniature version of a thirties gangster.

Whistling under his breath Al lowered his wand a little. "Okay….that's not something you see every day. Nice suit."

"Thanks. You guys got good instincts. Most people don't ever know I'm around when I'm using my invisibility." The house elf commented, speaking in an obviously faked New York accent. "You can put those wands away, FYI, I ain't here to hurt ya. Just the opposite."

"Is that so? And why would you be guarding us then?" Albus wanted to know, keeping his wand out for the moment.

"Cause my boss told me too. Usually I just take care of his old lady and the squirts, but he wanted me on you when you aren't where he can see you." Openly looking Albus over from head to toe the house elf grinned. "You haven't changed much, have you, Red? Losing the goatee was a good idea by the way. Really didn't suit you."

"Gellert sent you?" It was the only logical explanation.

"That's my boss. I'm Tommy by the way."

Walking closer Al knelt down, offering his hand to the elf. "Nice to meet you, Tommy. I'm Al Potter."

"Like I didn't know that. You look just like your pops." Shaking the offered hand Tommy grinned at the man. Most men weren't big on showing an elf respect. But he was Harry Potter's kid. "So we walking around city all day or you guys got a destination in mind?"

"TOMMY!"

All three watched as a small girl ran into the alley and hugged the house elf, who returned the hard hug. "Here's my little doll." Grinning at her Tommy turned her to face the other two. "This is my doll, Anya. Anya, this here's Albus and Al."

Brown eyes going wide Anya stared up at Albus, clasping Tommy's hand tightly in hers as she spoke in German. "You're tall, skinny, a redhead and your name is Albus. Are you my big brother's Albus?"

"He sure is. Looks better without the goatee, huh?"

"I am not his. Anymore." Albus corrected, not sure how to take the fact that Gellert had apparently been telling the people closest to him that they were a couple.

"Because he's emotionally unavailable. Tommy told me." Nodding her head gravely Anya battled back her shyness and met the big boy's gaze squarely. "Gellert's very nice you know, once you get to know him. He can be really mean and cold, but he'll take good care of you, the way he takes good care of me."

Seeing the shyness in the girl's eyes Albus came over and squatted down to her level. "It's nice to meet you, Anya. And I know Gellert can be a very nice guy." When it suited him, Albus silently added.

All four of their heads turned now when they heard a female voice calling Anya's name.

Wincing Tommy looked up at the men. "Don't tell her I'm here. She don't know bout me. Can't know about me, Boss's orders."

They watched as a woman walked over, Anya hurrying over to meet her mother. "Really, Anya, running off like that. This isn't like you, what were you thinking?"

"She…uh…thought I was Harry Potter. I look a lot like my dad." Al offered in English, getting the just of what the older woman had said even though he didn't speak German. His own mum had given him that look plenty when he'd run off on her.

"Oh." Blinking in surprise the woman looked Al over as she took her daughter's hand in hers, answering him in English with a German accent. "I see. You do look a lot like him, at least from a distance." Looking back and forth between Albus and Al the woman's face brightened. "You two are Gellert's new roommates, aren't you? My father mentioned that Harry Potter's son was rooming with Gellert in his last letter to me. I'm Gellert's godmother, Katara Hiegel. It's so nice to meet you both."

Introducing themselves to her they both noticed that she paid no attention to Tommy as she shook their hands. Obviously she couldn't see the elf, since he'd be hard not to notice in his getup.

After exchanging handshakes Gellert's godmother apologized for introducing herself and then having to run, but they were on their way to meet her husband for lunch and they'd be late if they didn't hurry.

"One question before you go, Mrs. Hiegel. I was wondering if you could tell me if Gellert's seen a healer about his leg. I've noticed he has problems with it and I thought that if he hadn't I could get my mom to look at it when she comes to visit me. She used to be a healer."

"Has it been bothering him a lot recently? Poor baby. He's seen a healer, but it was already too late by then. He was experimenting in the Potions lab at the school and he had an accident. The foolish boy thought he could take care of himself and didn't seek proper medical attention right away. Of course the woman in charge of the medical wing is a joke, so I can't blame him too much for that. Anyway, by the time he did see a healer there was apparently not much left that could be done. He says the cane helps, but we all know he only uses it at home. That boy has more pride than brains sometimes."

"Which is saying something." Albus murmured.

"Yes. My cousin, Gellert's mother, worries about him so. His knee on top of the sleeping problems. " Shaking her head Katara's sympathy for her godson was apparent in her voice. "Not that he ever complains. I…well I hope I'm not imposing, but if you should notice him overdoing…could you try to get him to rest? He won't make it easy…but if you could find a way…"

"We'll try our best." Albus assured her.

"Thank you." Nodding her head she smiled at them. "Well I'll leave you guys to whatever it is you were up to before we descended upon you. It was nice meeting you all. Say good bye, Anya."

Waving them off the men waited until the two were gone before they turned their attention to the elf.

"You know what really happened to him, don't you, Tommy? I've seen the wound; elfish healing magic was used on him."

His boss had briefed him, so Tommy knew what Gellert had and hadn't told the redhead. "He told you the truth, Red. Elf's honor. The guy's in jail, serving his time. We're all hoping he don't get out alive, but if he does…well we all got plans. And that's all I'm going to say bout that without the boss's permission. I should be going invisible anyway, wouldn't do for anyone to catch sight of me and start askin questions. Ciao."

And he was gone from their view in a blink of an eye.

)

Walking side by side out of the alley Albus and Al shared a knowing look, silently communicating to each other that they had a lot to discuss once they no longer had an elf with very large ears tagging along after them.

They were of like minds though.

Three things were on the agenda to discuss, starting with the fact that there was no question in either of their minds that Anya was indeed involved, somehow, with the circumstances that had led to Gellert's injury. Neither had missed the look in her eyes when Gellert's knee had been discussed. She'd all but bled guilt. Whatever had happened that day, she knew about it and blamed herself. Her eyes had betrayed it all when her mother had given them the bogus story Gellert had apparently cooked up for his family, which was not remotely the story Gellert had told Albus, which was interested. The second point was Tommy's commented that he was usually in charge of taking care of Gellert's mother and the squirts. Gellert only had one sibling, so logic dictated the other 'squirt' was Anya. Yet Anya's mother didn't know that. Why, exactly, would that be kept from her? Mothers were generally thrilled to have help watching their offspring, especially ones under the age of ten. For that matter, what would the three need someone like Tommy for? He wouldn't dress like that if all he did was clean house. He acted like an old world gangster, was that an act or did he genuinely pose a threat? Was he their bodyguard? Protecting them from what? Or who?

And finally, Tommy had used the word we when describing what would await Gellert's attacker if the man ever got out of jail. Not the boss and me, but we. Anya would make no sense, but neither could they shake the feeling that Tommy had meant there was a third party who would be interested in punishing the man. Another member of Gellert's family perhaps…or the only person Gellert might possibly entrust some of his secrets to.

Christopher.

)

Pleased to find Gellert alone, which was usually the case anyway, Scorpius took a seat beside his roommate, waiting until the other man put down his book before speaking. "You got a couple minutes?"

"Depends what you want them for."

"I need some advice, and you are the only friend I have at this school."

That had Gellert's interest. "We're friends?" This was news to him.

Scorpius rolled his eyes. "Yes, we are. We talk to each other, eat meals together, you take notes for me when I'm sick or I can't attend class. I don't razz you about your sleeping problems and you don't make comments about my hair. Our mothers even send stuff to give each other. That makes us friends."

"How do you know about my sleep problems?" That was all he cared about. If Scorpius wanted to consider him a friend, Gellert saw no reason to discourage it. It could always come in handy someday after all.

"Your mother told me. She asked me to let her know if it became a problem."

That sounded like something his mother would do. Unfortunately. But as Scorpius had pointed out, the man had kept his mouth shut. "You want to live, you keep your mouth shut about the sleeping thing. Now what do you need advice about?"

"Should I apologize to Al for kissing him?"

"Why would you feel the need to apologize?" Gellert returned, though he had a pretty good idea why. "He didn't seem to mind it. I would go so far as to say he enjoyed it. You have Flora's approval anyway." He added, just to annoy his 'friend'.

He should have known Gellert wouldn't be of any help. But who else was there to ask? "Look, just give me some advice and I'll give you some in return, okay?"

"What makes you think you could give me advice on any subject?" The idea was downright laughable. Not that Scorpius was stupid, but still…

"Well judging by Wimbledon's reaction to your one compliment I'd say I can. I'm not a Casanova by any stretch, but apparently I do know a lot more about men than you do. Or at least how to win one over so he doesn't think you're lying to him every time you say something nice about him."

"I wouldn't apologize. It would make too big a deal out of it. Now what's your suggestion concerning Albus?" Not that he thought he needed advice, but it couldn't hurt either.

Actually, Scorpius had thought Gellert wouldn't want his advice, so he hadn't planned anything in advance. He just said what came to him first. "If you can get him to go out with you take him somewhere with music."

"Because of his love of music." He knew that. Or at least he was aware of Albus's fondness for music. He didn't really see the appeal, but there were worse ways to spend an evening.

"Exactly. It's weird when he sings, isn't it?"

"What…he sings?"

Scorpius blinked in surprise. "You didn't know that? How do you not know that?"

Gellert's glare said it all.

"He sings when he's deep in thought, or really happy. Usually he doesn't know he's doing it. He gets flustered when you point it out. He also sings along with his music. He has these weird little rectangle things that play music through these headphone thingies. He's got one for each genre of music apparently. He's actually got one hell of a voice."

It annoyed him on some primal level that Scorpius knew this when he hadn't. It must be a new habit Albus had picked up, because Albus hadn't sang before. Or at least not when he's been around. Had he sang when he was alone or with others? Shared that part of him with them and not him, Gellert wondered.

"He plays the piano, and the guitar when he's depressed. " Scorpius continued. "He plays the guitar and you know something's seriously up. Usually he plays the guitar when he's had to go and visit his father's family in America."

"And you know all this because?"

"You're living proof that we blondes aren't intrinsically dumb, Gellert. I've known him for years, remember? It doesn't take a genius to observe and draw logically conclusions." Well that and Al had talked about Wimbledon plenty when they'd still been talking to each other. He knew more about the annoying redhead life than he did about some of his own family members.

Hmm. Storing away the information gathered Gellert's gaze turned at the sound of approaching footsteps. The boys were back from their weekend stroll.

)

"You have an interesting house elf." Taking a seat across from Gellert Albus crossed his arms as Al took the seat beside him, obviously pretending not to notice that Scorpius was there. Which of course only made it that much more obvious to everyone that things were uneasy between the two, Albus thought wryly.

Raising an eyebrow Gellert's voice gave away nothing. "Oh?"

"We met Tommy." Al supplied.

Well if anyone could sense Tommy's presence it would be Albus, Gellert silently acknowledged. "He's not a house elf. He gets insulted when you call him that. He doesn't clean any room but his own and occasionally mine. When I pay him extra to do it. And even then he bitches."

"So then what does he do, exactly?" Albus wanted to know.

"All manner of things." Was Gellert's cryptic response, even as he wondered exactly what Tommy had and hadn't discussed with the two men. Tommy certainly knew how to keep his mouth shut, but would the elf do so when the man questioning him was Albus? Tommy knew all about his past history, including his relationship with Albus. It wasn't out of the realm of possibility that Tommy might try to play matchmaker by telling Albus certain things Gellert had no wish for Albus to know. "What gave him away, Albus, out of idle curiosity?"

"We're the sons of Aurors." Al pointed out dryly. "We tend to notice things like being followed for over an hour."

"Why would your elf be following them?" Scorpius wanted to know.

"If history has taught us anything it's that trouble finds these two." Was Gellert's cryptic response. "It seemed prudent to insure nothing happened to them while they were out of our sights. As I said, Tommy is no ordinary elf. "

A smirk on his face Al raised a questioning eyebrow. "How do you know trouble finds me?"

"Lucky guess."


	16. The Top Bitch Arrives

The Top Bitch Arrives

Gellert slipped out of the room at six as planned, meeting up with Christopher in the man's bedroom. Also in on the impromptu meeting was Tommy, the elf obviously not pleased at having to get up so early. But if he'd snuck out at a more reasonable time the night before Albus would have noticed, the man was taking an annoying interest in his sleeping habits.

"So what's this about?" Rubbing his eyes Tommy glared at Gellert, not the least cowed when Gellert gave him a cool look in return. His boss was a softy underneath, whether he knew it or not.

"I need to know how much you told Albus."

Rolling his eyes Tommy yawned loudly. "No more than you told me to. Though why it's gotta be a secret from him is beyond me. He'd probably like you better if he knew. I certainly like you more because of it, and Christopher would say the same…if he could talk that is."

Rolling his eyes Christopher thought not for the first time that he couldn't figure out why he liked the elf. Personally he thought this whole meeting was a waste of time, but he knew better than to tell Gellert that. He was even okay if Wimbledon knew about their 'big secret'. The man wouldn't rat them out. And if he did, well it would be his word over Gellert's. And Gellert was the best liar Christopher had ever met.

"He met Anya by the way, in case Red didn't mention that."

"Oh goody." Was Gellert's sarcastic reply. That was just what he needed, those two meeting up. Things never went well between him and Albus when a blonde girl was added to the mix. Not that he thought there was a chance in hell of Anya ending up like Ariana, but still, the parallels could be made. He'd certainly made them when he'd nearly lost his leg with Anya's screams ringing in his ears.

That had not been a good day for anyone.

"I like him, and you think he's the bee's knees, right?"

"When are you going to realize you aren't a thirties gangster?"

"Why you gotta be like that, Boss?"

Rubbing his temples Gellert thought it sad that the only two people he had to depend on were a delusional elf and a mute werewolf.

"Why is it so hard to find good help these days?"

'When is it not hard?' Smirking at the both of them as he lowered his hands Christopher could only hope the rest of the day proved just as amusing.

)

Albus waited until she was alone before he approached Natasha. He'd intended to leave her be despite the potions incident, but he was pretty sure she was responsible for the ambush he and Al had encountered on the way to breakfast. They hadn't had problems defending themselves, but they shouldn't have had to. And it was one thing to go after him and an entirely other thing to go after Al.

"Excuse me, but may I have a moment of your time, Miss. Yelchin?"

Looking up at him with distain the woman nodded her head, following him into a hallway that was currently unoccupied. It didn't stay clear for long though, as everyone who'd noticed the two going off followed.

Ignoring the questioning eyes Albus gave her his full attention. She was the main threat, and it wasn't like their talk wouldn't be all over the school soon anyway. Everyone already knew that she'd orchestrated his transformation; them talking would come as a surprise to no one.

"I don't want to waste either of our times, so I'll get straight to the point. I know that you're the one who caused my unfortunate transformation in Potions and why it is you have a grudge against me in the first place. I'm asking you to please stop your plotting though. There's nothing to be gained by taking me out anyway, should you somehow manage it. I don't know if you want to catch him or punish him but getting me involved is a bad idea."

Crossing her arms Natasha gave him a mistress to servant sneer. "You actually think I care what you think?" She was royally pissed that so far nothing she'd done had worked out. Probably because she'd gotten other people to do her 'jobs' for her. Why was good help so hard to find, she silently fumed.

"Not really, but I thought I'd try. You don't stand a chance with him, either way."

He'd see to it. Even if he didn't want Gel for himself, Albus still would have interfered by virtue of the fact that the idea of a child with them as parents was terrifying. He or she would make Voldemort look like a pansy ass girl.

Pulling out her wand the furious girl pointed it at his head, mouth opening to issue an ultimatum that was never spoken.

A silvery blue light hit her wand arm, encasing her entire arm from shoulder to fingertips with ice. The weight of it was so great that Natasha fell down on her ass, the ice shattering into millions of shards when she hit the ground, scattering across the floor.

All eyes turning they watched a lone figure strut her way towards the pair from the opposite end of the hallway.

Every man instinctively sucked in their guts, losing the air in their lungs as they watched the vision come closer and closer. Her silvery, waist length blonde hair streamed out behind her like a war banner, her curvaceous figure the sort girls killed and starved for. Her face was a thing of beauty, without a flaw to mar its perfect symmetry.

She was dressed in a body hugging white sweater and a long black skirt which featured a large slit all the way up to the middle of her thigh. Every time her legs scissored she revealed a long stretch of golden leg, enough to have every man straining for a glimpse of more skin and maybe a hint of the thong she had to be wearing. She was only about five foot six, but the knee high black leather boots she wore gave her another four inches, not that she needed them. Her sheer presence made her seem five times bigger than she was.

Her wand still out and pointed, Dominique Weasley had arrived.

"Dominique? What are you doing here?"

"I will be with you in a moment." Domi assured Albus with a smile before her eyes zeroed in on her prey.

Striding over to the woman who'd regained her feet and was glaring at her Domi was not intimidated in the least. "I don't know who you are but let's get one thing straight right off, Lady. You don't point your wand at my Alby, not if you want to live, nest pas?"

"How dare you! Do you know who I am?"

"I just said I don't know who you are. How simple are you?" Domi's distain was plain. "And who you are doesn't matter. And it doesn't matter if you were the biggest badarse in this school before I came because I'm here now, and I guarantee that I am NOW the biggest, baddest, bitch this school has ever seen. You do NOT want to mess with me, so you do not mess with my Alby, capice?"

"You'd be wise to take her seriously." Albus added, not that he thought his opinion mattered in the least.

Glaring, Natasha was too pissed off even to speak. But dueling was not her strong point, especially when she didn't have any obvious advantages. The girl was probably older than her and Wimbledon was sure to interfere if she were to be a match for his friend.

Curses, they were both going to pay for this!

Whirling around Natasha stormed off, pushing people aside in her hurry. They were going to rue this day if it was the last thing she ever did!

Once the girl was out of sight Domi turned and threw herself into Albus's expectant arms. "My poor, poor Alby! Don't worry, sweetie, I'm here now. I won't let any of these Durmstrang morons hurt you!"

Returning the hug Albus smiled, even as his brows furrowed as he tried to comprehend. "Do you mean you've come here…to stay?"

"Oui, oui. I am here to replace that stupid Beaubaxton girl. They were going to send someone else from that school, but I told them I must come instead." Pulling back Domi framed his face between her hands. "And there is no need to thank me. Even though this means I must wear the most hideous school uniform I have ever seen in my seventeen years of life, your wellbeing is more important than that. I will suffer it without complaint for your sake."

"You're too good to me." Knowing what was expected of him Albus lowered his head and kissed her forehead. "And I'm so very glad to see you. I feel twenty times safer already."

With a wink Domi moved to his side and linked arms with him. "Now where is my cousin, who I so foolishly entrusted your safety to?"

"I don't know, let's go find him."

)

It took Gellert the better part of an hour to track down Scorpius, even with Christopher's help. Walking over to the man Gellert didn't waste time with pleasantries. "Is the Aunt Domi Flora mentioned a short form for Dominique?" He'd been meaning to ask Scorpius about the Domi Christopher had mentioned before, but it hadn't seemed important. Apparently he'd been wrong about that.

"Domi-natrix?" Raising an eyebrow Scorpius couldn't begin to imagine why Gellert would be interested in Al's cousin. "Yeah, she's Al's first cousin and Flora's aunt. Biggest ball buster I've ever met. A real man eater too. She dates men and leaves them crying baby boys every time. It's both fun and sad to watch."

"And she and Albus are close?"

"That's one way of putting it." Smirking, Scorpius shook his head. "And you better hope that you nab Wimbledon before you meet her too. She won't like you sniffing around him one bit. You know those women who have small, yappy dogs that they carry around with them everywhere? Well that's how she treats Wimbledon. She loves him to bits and babies him big time. It's not like she's interested in him, she just thinks he's the most adorable thing ever. Why?"

"She's here to replace the exchange student who left from Beaubaxton."

"Well shite. And here I thought things couldn't get much worse."

Hanging off to the side Christopher didn't commented as Scorpius relayed to Gellert several incidents that proved just how bad arse Domi really was. He didn't care at the moment, disappointed as he was. He'd seen Domi Weasley now and she was everything he'd hoped she wouldn't be. She just had to be a blonde, Christopher thought darkly, his nose still twitching from the scent of her.

She'd smelled even better in person.

But she was a blonde, Christopher reminded himself sternly. Gorgeous, tough, and bossy to boot. In other words, she was the worst sort of female for him to be attracted to.

She was exactly his type.

Why oh why couldn't she have been mousy looking at least? Not that he would stand a chance anyway, but still… damn. Couldn't the fates ever cut him even one break? Given her family she might have been interested, despite his condition. He should have known better than to hope that she'd be average with someone like Al Potter for a cousin. Looks ran in that family.

"There you are."

All three men turned their heads to watch Al and Albus walk towards them with Domi in between them, the girl's arms through theirs. It was Al who had spoken, and the grin on his face said it all.

He was really, really looking forward to introducing his cousin to Gellert. His reinforcements had arrived, Al thought with mischievous glee.

"Malfoy." Domi drawled out, her light brown eyes amused as she met Scorpius's gaze. She got along with him only slightly better than her older sister did, which wasn't saying much.

"Weasley." He returned, giving her a curt nod. "Beaubaxton didn't suit you?"

"I was needed here." And now her attention turned to the other blonde man, dismissing Scorpius easily enough. After all, the other blonde was the reason she'd come in the first place. While she trusted her cousin to keep Albus out of physical trouble she doubted very much that Al would be so successful where Alby's heart was concerned.

Breaking away from her men Domi walked straight up to Gellert, giving him her complete focus and attention. "You are Gellert Stalanski, yes? I am Dominique Weasley, though please call me Domi."

"That's right, and nice to meet you, Domi. Please call me Gellert." Taking the hand she offered Gellert found it small but firm. This was not someone to be underestimated, her eyes gave her away, he thought.

"I would like that. Now if you would move, Malfoy." And not waiting for him to do so Domi reached out and lightly shoved her cousin's ex out of her way, much to Scorpius's annoyance.

Slowly the girl walked a circle around Gellert, who stood still in silent amusement while he was looked over like a stallion at auction.

The others watched with varying degrees of fascination, Albus and Al knowing better than to interfere. Albus looked pointedly at his feet, too embarrassed to meet Gellert's amused gaze. Apparently Al had wrote her plenty about his man troubles and he'd already been grilled mercilessly about Gellert while they'd been looking for him.

Once she'd walked completely around him Domi came to a stop in front of Gellert, reaching down to lift up the hem of his shirt to get a look at his six pack. Ignoring Albus's groan of dismay Domi looked her fill before letting the shirt go, reaching up to frame Gellert's face between her hands so that he had to look her in the eyes.

They stared into each other's eye for at least two minutes before Domi finally took a step back with a nod of satisfaction, the first part of her evaluation over.

"So do I pass?" Gellert inquired, intrigued despite himself.

"You are almost man enough for my Alby." Domi announced. "I will see if I can't get you up to snuff before the term ends. I like a challenge."

"What do I need to improve on?"

"That's for me to know and you to find out."

Challenged Gellert decided that turnabout was fair play. Lifting a finger in her direction to signal for her to remain quiet Gellert copied her earlier actions, walking around her slowly, studying her from head to toe. Then when he was standing in front of her he lifted up the hem of her shirt a little, studying the toned, golden stomach before dropping the material back into place. Then, meeting her amused gaze, Gellert nodded his head in acknowledgement.

"You're not so bad yourself."

Raising an eyebrow Domi gave him a questioning look. "Are you suggesting that there's some areas where I could improve?"

"That's for me to know and you to find out."

"I see." A small, knowing smile crossing her lips Domi couldn't have been more delighted with the challenge facing her. "I am thinking, Gellert, that you and I are going to either get along very very well, or become enemies for life."

"I would agree with that."

)

Thinking it wise to change the subject before he died of embarrassment because of either of them Albus tossed Christopher into the fray without remorse.

"Domi, this is Christopher Worden. Sorry for not introducing you sooner. " Albus added, sending Christopher an apologetic look that had nothing to do with the lack of introduction and everything to do with focusing Domi's attentions on him.

Allowing herself to be distracted Domi turned her gaze towards Christopher, looking him over from head to toe with growing female interest. Well wasn't he worth howling about, she thought in appreciation, taking in the well muscled body and badarse aura the werewolf was radiating. He was just her type, and completely available according to her cousins. Things were definitely looking up.

"I am Dominique Weasley, but please call me Domi. It is a pleasure to meet you, Christopher." Holding out her hand to him Domi gave him her best come hither look.

Christopher was never so glad that he couldn't speak. He'd probably be blubbering like an idiot if he could. As it was lines of poetry and clever remarks vied for attention as they bounced around his head, his throat unable to verbalize them, Thank God. She was just the most beautiful, perfect thing he'd ever seen in his life.

He had to get away from her NOW.

Ignoring the offered hand Christopher jerked his head in a brief acknowledgement of her introduction and then turned and got the hell out of there.

Eyes widening Domi slowly lowered her hand, unable to believe what he'd just done. No man, in all of her seventeen years of life, had ever dismissed her so completely. The look on his face had suggested he hadn't even wanted to acknowledge her existence. All men, even gay men, were affected by her mere presence thanks to her Veela blood.

This Christopher person was apparently totally immune to her considerable charms.

And that just wouldn't do.

That wouldn't do at all.


	17. Tasted Like Fruit Punch

Tasted Like Fruits Punch

Dominique Weasley was not a happy woman come Wednesday night. She'd spent half the week trying to get the werewolf to like her and so far he'd avoided her the way she avoided pants that made her butt look big. It wasn't like this was the first time a guy had disliked her, but that was usually only after they discovered what a dangerous, vindictive bitch she could be. He didn't know her well enough to fear her yet.

Both of her best friends had promised they hadn't warned Christopher about her, so that wasn't it. Malfoy might have, the git, but apparently he and Christopher weren't even that friendly. So why didn't he like her? She'd even stopped wearing her signature perfume, thinking that maybe it was too strong for his sensitive nose. She knew there were some scents that offended her brother in law's nose after all, and he was only the son of one. But that hadn't seemed to make a difference at all. If anything, he'd seemed to dislike her even more.

So why didn't he think she was the hottest thing ever? What was wrong with him?

And now she'd heard that he was leaving the next day because apparently he wasn't allowed on school grounds two days before, during, or after the full moon. It was the only way the school board would agree to let Christopher come to school at all. That was why he needed Gellert to tutor him despite his considerable intelligence.

So whatever ground she'd gained with Christopher, however little that really was, would be lost by the time the jackass got back.

Punching her pillow Domi pulled the covers over her head and sulked.

)

When a knock sounded at their door Albus got out of bed and walked over, Scorpius and Gellert sticking their heads out to see who it was. The man on the other side of the door wasn't someone they recognized, but Albus apparently did since he greeted the man by name.

"What's up?" Albus asked, ignoring the fact that Gellert's eyes were drilling painfully into his back.

"Uhm…I figured I owed you for helping me with that assignment question…so you...ah…might want to go to room 210 right about now. Your friend got roped into tasting Heinz's latest brew and things never work out well for his taste testers."

Well that answered the question of why Al hadn't come back from his shower yet.

"Thanks, Sven, I appreciate it. Have a good night." Waving him off Albus turned and went to get some shoes on while silently praying that Al would be sober enough to walk. He really didn't want to have to come back and ask Gellert for help carrying the idiot.

Once he was ready to go Albus headed off to pick up Al, his other roommates unconcerned as they went back to what they'd been doing.

Or at least Gellert was unconcerned until Albus didn't come back.

When the other man had been gone for a half an hour without him or Al returning Gellert cursed, kicked off his sheets, and got out of bed. Standing up on his bunk Gellert opened Scorpius's curtains without bothering to give his roomie a heads up. "Come on, we have to go and get those two. I can't carry both of them by myself."

"We have to carry them? I am not carrying Wimbledon." And he did not have the muscles to carry his former boyfriend, Scorpius silently added, even as he went over to the ladder to come down. Gellert would make him whether he wanted to or not anyway.

"Just come on." Together the two headed out, finding the correct room after some searching. Gellert's knock was answered right away, and the two opened the door and stepped in, their eyes going instinctively to the floor where three men were currently sitting down. One was apparently sober, but the other two were not even close.

"Hi." Blue eyes dreamy and unfocused Albus waved at the two while Al saluted them.

Rolling his eyes Gellert walked over and crouched down beside Albus. "Seeing as you were told that this guy brews his own alcohol, you'd think you'd have thought twice about drinking anything he offered you."

"It was only half a glass; it would have been very rude of me to decline. Plus, it tastes just like fruit punch, so how much alcohol could be in it?" Smiling Albus reached out and placed a hand on Gellert's cheek, stroking the skin lovingly while his former lover smirked at him.

"Apparently quite a lot." He could smell it, Gellert thought in amusement.

Walking over Scorpius reached out and held out a hand to help up Al. "Come on, let's get you back to our room."

"I don't think it's a good idea for me to stand right now." Blinking at Scorpius Al had no intention of even trying to get to his feet again. The last time he'd tried everything had spun like mad so that he'd nearly gone into a wall head first. He was not hurling all over his ex boyfriend. Things between them were bad enough.

"Can you stand?" Gellert asked, placing a hand over top of Albus's.

"Where are we going?" Albus asked as he placed his other hand on top of Gellert's, grinning up at him foolishly.

"To bed."

"Really? Yay. Can we go right now? Can we? Can we?" Eyes lighting up it was obvious what Albus thought bed meant.

Lips twitching into a small smile Gellert pulled his hands free and slid them under Albus's arms, using them to get the other man to his feet with Albus leaning heavily against him but at least upright.

Wrapping his arms around Gellert's waist Albus leaned down to nuzzle his face against Gellert's neck, placing cheerful kisses there too for good measure.

"Okay, we're going before I get sick." Copying Gellert's actions Scorpius just barely got Al to his feet, wrapping his arms around the Gryffindor to keep him upright. They both weaved in place because Scorpius was, as he'd thought, not strong enough to hold Al up on his own. And Al was definitely not steady on his feet.

"Your man there has zero tolerance for alcohol." The sober brew creator informed Gellert with a smirk before looking over at Scorpius. "Yours there is loads better. He drank four times as much before it hit."

Al was less than thrilled with the compliment. He'd had no idea of the alcohol content of what he'd been offered until it hit, and knew in his gut that he was going to be very, very sorry he'd agreed to join the man for a little drink soon. "I am so going to pay for it tomorrow too." He mumbled.

Giving the man responsible for the mess a hard look, Gellert's eyes clearly conveyed that there was never to be a repeat of this if the other man wanted to keep on breathing and brewing. "We'll be going now. Good night."

And so the two men led their very drunk exes towards the door, which closed behind them to the sound of their former host's cheerful good byes.

)

They hadn't gone far before Al announced that he needed to sit down, Scorpius not strong enough to stop him as the other man took a seat on the floor with his back against a wall for support.

Since he didn't want to watch the two lovebirds in front of him Scorpius motioned for them to go on ahead while he stayed behind until Al was up to walking again. Watching the two stumble away Scorpius leaned his back against the wall and nervously shoved his hands in his pockets. He didn't know what to say, and didn't want to give Al the wrong impression by showing concern. Al wouldn't like it anyway, that he knew from experience. Al hated to admit weakness in front of him, though he'd never been able to figure out why.

"Just go on, I'll make it there in my own good time." Pressing his forehead against his bent knees Al could feel his stomach clench and unclench as he fought back the nausea. If it weren't for the fact that Scorpius was nearby Al knew he would have already been upchucking all over the place.

Looking down Scorpius's gaze said plainly that he wasn't going anywhere.

"Seriously, I'll be fine." Swallowing hard it was all he could do not to gag. And Scorpius wasn't leaving, Al thought in a panic. Damn it, the man was good at leaving him, so why wasn't he?

"You aren't in any condition to walk by yourself. I don't mind staying."

Grinching his teeth Al forced himself to raise his head, looking up to meet Scorpius's eyes. He really didn't mind, but that wasn't the point. And knowing the man as well as he knew himself, Al knew how to get rid of him easily enough. Unfortunately, it was going to come to that since he couldn't hold himself in check much longer.

Deliberately smirking up at him Al gave the former Slytherin a look that told him to beat it. "Look, get that stick out of your arse and go. I don't need your help." Trying to sound as dismissive as possible it struck Al as darkly ironic that Scorpius only stuck by him when he didn't want him to.

Glaring Scorpius's fingers clenched in his pockets. "I do not have a stick up my arse."

And now for the kicker, Al thought. "Well then, would you prefer something else up your arse?"

Getting the meaning after a confused pause, Scorpius's eyes flashed dangerously as he went red in the face. "Why you…." Pissed off beyond words Scorpius was gone without another word, an angry swing to his stride as he marched down the hallway without a backward glance.

"Thank Merlin." Forcing himself to his feet Al turned, stumbled over to the nearby window, and pulling out his wand made the pane of glass in said window disappear. Then, leaning out, began to hurl his guts out as the wind beat down on his head.

)

Arriving back at their room Gellert led Albus over to the other man's bed, pulling aside the curtains and helping Albus onto the mattress. Or at least that was what he was trying to do. Not an easy task since Albus was determined to drag him onto the bed with him. Finally letting the man have his way Gellert allowed himself to be pulled down and cuddle up against Albus's chest.

"I'm too heavy for you." He pointed out, thinking that he was probably almost twice as heavy as he'd been before. Back then he'd probably weighed less than Albus, seeing as he'd been shorter and just as thin.

"We always use to sleep like this." Albus pointed out as he turned to brush his lips against the top of Gellert's head. "Or I slept and you pretended to." A pout forming on his lips Albus's voice took on a childish note as his grip tightened. "You never wanted to sleep with me."

"That's not true. As you'll recall there were two other people living in your house and one of them would have turned me over to the authorities with a smile on his ugly face. And finding out we were having sex would have been the excuse he needed to get rid of me. And don't say he wouldn't have said something because it was you I was getting naked with. We both know Aberforth had the sort of temper that would have had him running his mouth off sooner or later if he'd known. Not to mention the fact that my aunt would have noticed me not being around come breakfast if I had fallen asleep and not woken up in time."

"You left as soon as you thought I was asleep."

That had Gellert propping himself up so that he could get a good look at Albus's face. "Thought you were asleep?"

"Why do you think I wanted you to sleep on top? That way I always knew when you left."

That had never occurred to him. It should have though, Gellert realized, because even then he would have been heavy. Not nearly as heavy as he was now, but certainly enough to make sleeping a little difficult comfort wise. "So you didn't like sleeping that way? You just did it so you'd know when I left?" He'd preferred it. He'd actually found it very soothing, to lay there with his head against Albus's shoulder, the warmth and softness of Albus's body under his. He'd never, not once, ever wanted to leave him.

"You naked and on top of me. What wasn't there to like about that?" Was Albus's amused reply.

"Same goes. Now let me go so that we can both get some sleep."

"No. Stay with me." Arms tightening Albus closed his eyes sleepily, unable to keep them open any longer. "Please?"

"I'm still too heavy for you."

"Gel…if you want to fix things…you have to want more from me than sex and conversation."

"And you know that I'm the one who's supposed to manipulate and blackmail people." Gellert pointed out dryly, even as he shifted down and closed his eyes, settling more comfortably against his former lover.

It really would be like old times, Gellert thought cynically, though without malice as Albus relaxed under him. He'd stay until Albus passed out and then go. And this time he'd at least be sure Albus really was asleep.

It would be fine.

)

Dominique was almost asleep when there came a knocking at the door. Sleepily she rubbed her eyes and stuck her head out of the curtains and watched as one of her roomies on the ground floor went to answer it. It was nearly eleven on a school night, she thought with irritation. Who could it be?

It came as an even bigger surprise when her roomie came back with a slightly fearful expression on her face. "It's for you." The girl said in heavily accented English.

Raising an eyebrow Domi came down, opting not to bother with her robe since she figured it was probably Alby's Gellert. Alby and Al wouldn't scare anyone, and who else would be coming to talk to her?

Walking up to the open door Domi's eyebrows raised as she tilted her head up to meet the scowling gaze of one annoyed looking werewolf. "Well hello there." Domi began, crossing her arms in front of her to give her unrestrained breasts a nice lift. "What can I do for you?"

Christopher all but shoved his notepad in her face to answer.

Blinking Domi backed up a couple of steps and with a growing scowl of her own read the words printed there.

'I found your cousin throwing up in one of the hallways. He is now passed out in my bedroom. Your Alby is drunk too but apparently Gellert is looking after him. Come deal with him.'

"Oh."

Blinking several times Domi processed that, and did her best to hide the fact that she'd hoped he just might be there to see what she wore to bed. Not that she could wear anything overly revealing or sexy in a drafty castle like this. Hogwarts was so superior that way. But now wasn't the time to think about that.

"I'll be right back then."

Waiting for her Christopher stared down at his notebook, trying not to think about how small and adorable she'd looked. Her hair in braided pigtails, face free of make up and enhancements. He hadn't realized before how small she was. She'd always been wearing footwear with heels before. Seeing her in fluffy pink socks and wearing pink and white flannel pajamas that dwarfed her was quite the shock to his system.

When she reappeared she had a quilt over one arm and a satchel in the other. She was also now wearing a long robe and pink moccasins on her feet. They made pink moccasins? Raising an eyebrow over it all Christopher didn't bother asking her for any explanations as they walked, leading her in the right direction to where his room was.

Unlike the others Christopher had a room all to himself due to the fact that no one wanted to share a room with him. He and Gellert hadn't gotten to be 'friends' until a couple years ago, when the other man had needed his 'talents'. Not that he ever wanted a roommate, it would have meant moving his stuff out.

The room was taken up by his large, custom made bed and the reclining leather chair that Al was currently passed out in. The only other furniture was a closet and a desk for his lap top.

Walking over towards her sleeping cousin Domi leaned in, blinking at the smell of the liquor on his breath. It wasn't like Al to overindulge, especially with them having school the next day. Not that she could ask him what was wrong in his present state. Shaking her head Domi set down the satchel and unfolded the quilt, spreading it out and over her cousin so he wouldn't get cold.

"He should be okay where he is." She told Christopher. "You said he's already thrown up most of what was in his stomach. I'm a light sleeper, I'll wake up if he starts throwing up again."

Eyes bugging out Christopher never wrote a message on his notepad so quickly.

'You can't mean to stay here'

Reading the message Domi gave him a look that said she wasn't going to be budging anytime soon. "We have to stay here. He can't be left on his own, and you don't want to take care of him, do you? I'm not sharing his bed with him, he's the biggest cuddler this world has ever seen. I won't get a wink of sleep with him wrapped all around me like a vine. I hate that. You stay on your side of the bed and I'll stay on the other. From the looks of your pillows you sleep on the left anyway. I'll stay on my side, Christopher. Your virtue's safe from me. Tonight anyway."


	18. Waking Up With You

Waking Up With You

Albus's first slightly waking thought was that he hated his grandmother's cat, Fluffy. The cat, nicknamed Catzilla, loved to sleep on top of him whenever the fat feline could find his way into his room. Albus's next thought was that said fat cat had gained a lot of weight since the last time the furry monster had curled up on him. The final thought was that the cat was dead so what the hell was on top of him?

Eyes opening Albus looked down, going as mushy as mashed potatoes at the sight of a familiar curly topped head. Not that he'd ever seen that head asleep on his shoulder in reality, but he'd dreamed about it plenty. A small, tender smile crossing his face Albus lifted a hand to stroke Gellert's head, fingers tangling in the short, mussed curls.

Albus kept stroking until Gellert began to stir, watching Gellert's head slowly lift to blink at him sleepily. "Hey, Sleepyhead."

Blinking Gellert stared at Albus for a moment, his eyes widening as he sat up suddenly, jaw perilously close to dropping. "I…how…I slept here? All night…" Completely forgetting that Albus was even there Gellert struggled to comprehend, muttering out loud his thoughts as they came to him. "You would have heard me…everyone would have…and there's no lighting…how did I sleep through the night without…it's not possible?"

Trying to understand Albus reached out to cup Gellert's cheek in his hand. "You normally have problems sleeping?" In his mind Albus could see how many bright lights Gellert had had on the night he'd crawled in with him, and the fact that Gellert hadn't seen the least bit sleepy that whole time. Like he was used to not sleeping at night.

Rather than answer Gellert stared at Albus searchingly, looking for some sort of answer to his situation. It had been almost seven years since he'd been able to sleep through a night peacefully and without dreams. His parents had tried sleeping beside him in the beginning and countless healers had tried prescribing various potions to cause his slumber to be dreamless and undisturbed. None of it had worked. Apparently all he'd needed, Gellert realized with growing awareness, was the man watching him with such concern.

After all, how could he think himself back in Hell if Albus was with him?

"Gel." Confused Albus leaned forward to press his forehead against his man's. "Why can't you sleep normally?"

His first instinct was to lie, and he had been trying to come up with some way of preventing Albus from finding out about his sleep problem, but now he knew that Scorpius knew and if Albus found out that Malfoy had known and he hadn't… Gellert knew he'd be in trouble. Big trouble. And besides, considering all his secrets, this wasn't the worst of them strictly speaking.

"I don't sleep at night. Or I…can't…usually. Last night was the exception."

"Why not?'

"Do you remember the place you went to after you died?"

Albus had no idea what that had to do with anything, but answered anyway. "Not well, but I do have impressions, vague memories, a sense of what it was like. Why?"

"I remember where I went too. That's why I don't sleep at night."

It took only a moment for Albus to understand what Gellert meant. Gellert had not been with him in heaven, had he been Albus sure as hell would have stayed there. That meant, if the various belief systems were to be believed, Gellert had either ended up in Purgatory or in Hell. And while what constituted those places was widely debated, that they weren't places you wanted to end up was universal. The lights…Gellert had filled his bedroom with light to keep out the darkness.

"Don't give me pity." And having no intention of saying anymore Gellert leaned forward to capture Albus's mouth, using the both handy and enjoyable maneuver to distract the man who'd always seen and asked more than what he wished to give. And he would not discuss that place, could not discuss it. He knew over a hundred languages and still he had no words that accurately described that reality. The sights, smells, the screams… No, he could never verbalize and had no intention of trying.

Wrapping his arms around Gellert's neck Albus let the man have his way, what he'd learned so enormous that he could actually concentrate on that as opposed to being distracted by Gellert's skilled kissing.

So many complex thoughts and ideas battled for supremacy in Albus's mind that a brain of lesser caliber would have exploded. There was the lover part of him that hurt unbearably at just the thought of what Gellert must have gone through that had traumatized him to the point where the once fearless man now feared the dark. The scholar half wanted to ask a million questions and learn more about the reality so widely speculated and theorized about. Just as bad was his practical side which actually took comfort in what Gellert had just admitted. It meant, after all, that there was a damn good chance that Gellert really was telling the truth about turning over a new leaf. It might not be for the right reasons necessarily, but if his time in hell gave them a chance to live good lives together than Albus thought, however selfish and horrible it was, that he was glad Gellert knew the full extent of potential consequences.

But most importantly…he would have to do everything in his power to make sure Gellert never had to go to that place again, Albus thought fiercely, that single thought wiping all the others away like the calm after the storm. He had failed in his youth to save the ones most dear to him, his siblings and Gellert. He would not make the same mistakes as before. He would protect everyone important to him this time.

Sensing he didn't have Albus's full attention Gellert stared into Albus's slightly dazed eyes. "Hangover?"

Blinking Albus forced a grin onto his face as he shook his head. "No. I don't get hangovers or any backlash from drinking really. I even remember perfectly everything…Al…YOU LEFT AL WITH MALFOY! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING, YOU IDIOT!"

)

Pushing Gellert off his lap without a thought Albus was standing up on his mattress faster than you could say Al Potter. Wrenching the curtains apart Albus saw instantly that Al was indeed not there, just as he'd feared. Muttering dark curses and intentions Albus ignored Gellert's excuses and hopped down off the bed to march over to his ex's bed on the off chance that Scorpius had stashed his best friend there. No such luck.

"If you laid one slimy hand on him, Malfoy I'm going to transfigure you into a snake and fucking skin you alive for a belt." Albus threatened under his breath as he stood up on Gellert's mattress and parted Scorpius's curtains.

Malfoy was there. Al wasn't.

"MALFOY!"

Sitting up at the order/snarl Scorpius blinked several times sleepily, turning his head to look at Albus blearily with a wince. "Ugh. I do not need to see your face this early in the morning. What the hell do you want?"

"Where the hell is Al?"

Confusion crossing the former Slytherin's face it took a moment for Scorpius's brain to engage enough to answer. "He's not in his bed?"

"No, he's not. You were supposed to bring him back here. Al gets terrible hangovers, he definitely wouldn't have gotten out of bed already. Hell, I would have had to drag him out just to get him to shower. Now where the hell is he?"

Worry entering Scorpius's grey eyes the man's voice was uncertain as he explained what had happened. "He sat down in the hallway…and he wouldn't get up. I wasn't strong enough to make him. I figured he'd get back on his own when he was up to it. He never came back?"

"Why the hell didn't you come and get me?" Gellert demanded to know, knowing this was all going to come back to bite him in the ass. Not that that was fair, since this really was all Scorpius's fault, Gellert silently muttered to himself. But trying to tell that to Albus would probably not go over well.

Raking a hand through his tousled hair Scorpius glared at the other blonde. "I was going to but you were in bed with Wimbledon! The two of you naked together shagging was not something I wanted to see on top of everything else!"

"We weren't…oh never mind." Hopping down off the bed Albus walked around Gellert and went over to grab his shoes, which Gellert had conveniently left lying beside his bed the night before. Putting them on Albus ignored the fact that the other two men were doing the same. He was too ready to kill both of them if something had happened to Al. And sick in his gut, was the thought that if something had happened to Al it was his fault for not taking care of his best friend the way he should have.

His past repeating itself.

After getting his wand from Gellert Albus opened their bedroom door and then raised his wand, a burst of flame shooting out the end after he issued a quick, silent spell. The flame shaped itself into a bird which nodded its head at Albus's mental order and took off flying with the three men following close behind.

No one spoke until the bird took a turn down a hallway Albus hadn't even realized housed more bedrooms.

"Strange. Could he be with…Christopher." Gellert stated, answering his own question when the fiery bird came to a stop in front of Christopher's bedroom door, hovering there. "This is Christopher's room. He's the only one with his own room."

Allowing himself to breath a small sigh of relief Albus knocked on the door, hoping that Christopher wouldn't be too mad that they'd stopped by so early. Then again, Al was no prize when he was drunk or hungover. The werewolf would probably be pretty glad to get rid of him.

When the door opened all three men took instinctive steps back. The look on the werewolf's face was enough to make them think he was just itching to tear someone's throat out. He looked more like someone coming off a drinking binge than Al probably did, Albus thought in silent worry.

His eyes bloodshot and jittery Christopher stared at them for a moment, than turning sideways pointed in the direction of his bedroom, his eyes silently demanding that they do something about what lay within.

"I'm sorry." Was all Albus could think to say. Walking past the werewolf carefully Albus stepped into the room and immediately noticed the familiar blonde head buried under Christopher's covers. Turning back to look at Christopher Albus didn't know what to say except, "I am so, so sorry for whatever she did to you."

"What I did to him?" Pushing the covers aside Domi sat up and glared in the direction of the four men. "I did not do anything wrong. Even though he is tap, tap tapping all night long on his stupid laptop, I do not complain. I do not ask him to stop trying to use the stupid thing even though it could not be working here. I was thee perfect guest to his lousy host!"

Christopher's gaze became even more murderous if that was possible.

"Actually, his laptop does work." Gellert informed Domi while Albus went over to see how bad Al was. Albus was getting the definite sense that they should be getting out of there as soon as possible.

Albus stopped shaking Al's shoulder to look over at Gellert questioningly. "What do you mean? It's impossible for a laptop to survive and function in a magical environment. Even the cell phones we carry only last about a month before dying, and they only work for other family members they've been magically connected to. It took Al's Aunt Hermione years to even bewitch the phones to manage that."

"He made it out of magically materials; it's supposed to function in a magical setting." Gellert explained as he shoved his hands in his pockets, sensing that he wasn't going to be in big trouble with Albus. Distracting the other man with information could only help him. "The laptop's his own, original design. He had and has a lot of free time on his hands."

It was actually Christopher's laptop that had made them something resembling friends. When the situation with Anya had come to light he'd needed information, information he couldn't find out easily on his own. But Christopher's hacking skills and knowledge of Muggles and their technology had proven invaluable. The laptop and Christopher's Muggle contacts had provided him with all the information he needed to accurately judge, capture and punish his prey.

Sending Gellert a 'very funny' look Christopher walked over to take a seat in front of his desk, his back to everyone. He was not in the mood to play host or even nice.

Getting the hint Albus thought it wisest to ask Gellert more about the fascinating laptop later. Preferably when they weren't within Christopher's long reach. Turning his attention back to Al Albus kept shaking until the other man's eyes finally fluttered open to meet his.

A loud groan was the best Al could do as he gave his best friend the 'pity me' look.

"I know, I know. Now come on before Domi drives Christopher to murder."

Forcing himself to take the hands Albus offered Al let himself be pulled to his feet, wrapping his arms around Albus's neck as he got his bearings, resting his head against his best friend's shoulder as his head spun out of control. He wasn't going to drink anything ever again. Or at least not without finding out all the contents first. And nothing from that Heinz guy. Not ever.

Folding up the blanket she'd brought for her cousin Domi placed it over her shoulder, sensing that she was now free to go. She didn't want to spend any more time with the assehole werewolf if she didn't have to. "I am going back to my room now." She announced queenly. "I can still get a little more sleep before it is time to get ready for the day." The look she slid in Christopher's direction spoke volumes.

Knowing it was best she left before Christopher snapped Albus smiled at her. "Okay. Thanks for helping Christopher take care of him, Domi. He'd say thank you too if he could."

Nodding in acceptance of his and Al's groaned, mangled thanks Domi walked around the men, stopped, and walked over to stand at Christopher's side even though all the other men were giving her warning looks. "Christopher?"

Christopher refused to look at her.

Glaring at him Domi none the less leaned down to place a kiss on the shocked werewolf's bristly cheek. "Even though you were and are an ass…thank you for helping out my cousin and me. I very much appreciate it. And get some sleep, okay. You look even worse than normal."

And while Christopher and the others watched her in stunned silence Domi sashayed out of the room like she owned the place.

"She's an original." Gellert said as the door closed.

"That's a polite way of putting it." Albus agreed with a chuckle. "Now let's get out of Christopher's way so he can get some sleep before he gets picked up."

)

Once everyone had thanked him again and left Christopher closed the behind him and leaned back against it, both incredibly wired and tired at the same time. Scrubbing his hands over his face the werewolf decided that he'd skip his first morning class and just sleep until eleven, when someone from his family estate would be sent to pick him up. He could have gotten home by himself, but his grandfather feared someone kidnapping him so close to a full moon and insisted upon the escort. His family had a lot of enemies and his condition made him a weak limb in his family tree.

Those thoughts tiring him out as much as his all nighter Christopher pushed away from the door and heading back into his bedroom.

Setting his alarm clock to the right time Christopher double checked it and then turned his attention to stripping down to his boxers, this taking way longer than it should have. Leaving the clothes where he'd dropped them Christopher wearily slipped into bed, pulling the covers over his head with a groan of relief.

And minutes later, calling himself every kind of masochistic moron name he could think of, Christopher rolled over and onto the right side of the bed, her scent teasing his sensitive nose as he breathed into the pillow her head had rested on, the sheets that had covered her sleeping form.

Damn. What a woman.

She was going to be the death of him.


	19. Some Explaining To Do

Some Explaining To Do

By the end of the school day everyone knew that the new, gorgeous exchange student had spent the night in Christopher Worden's bedroom. That Al had been in the room with them didn't faze the gossipers one bit, most leaving that part out if they could. The girls were especially brutal since they viewed Domi as a threat to their boyfriends and secret crushes. No one would want her if they knew she was such a slut that she'd let a werewolf touch her.

Of course Domi heard and saw the whisperers looking her way, and by the end of the day she was very much aware of what was being said about her. But frankly, she just didn't give a damn. She didn't know any of them well enough to care what they thought of her, and as far as she was concerned it only spoke well of her if she could get an anti social hunk like Christopher in less than a week. Of course she wasn't the sort of girl who hopped into bed with a guy she'd just met, but if they had to accuse her of sleeping with someone Domi was somewhat flattered that they thought she could tame the werewolf so easily.

"Stop scowling so, Al." Domi told her cousin, and not for the first time. He was ruining her appetite, he was scowling so. "Let them say what they like. It reflects on them, not on me."

"I pictured you more as the type to kick ass in this sort of situation, Domi." Gellert commented from Albus's side. Albus was still peeved at him for leaving Potter in the care of Scorpius, but hadn't objected to the seating arrangement. Then again, Albus was smart enough to know that having the headmaster's grandson sit with them sent out a statement to the rest of the student body.

Domi shrugged her shoulders delicately. "I don't wish to get blood on these shoes. It would ruin them."

"I'm more than happy to get blood on mine." Was Al's snarled response. The hangover and rumors circulating about his cousin were not a good combination. At the moment making everyone as miserable as him sounded like a damn good idea.

"There, there." Patting Al on the head Albus was the voice of reason. "The rumors will die down faster if we don't do anything. If they ask we tell the truth, otherwise it's better to just let things run their course." And then the Weasley/Wimbledon influences showed through. "And if they're still talking like this tomorrow night…we take it personally and shut their mouths for them."

"That sounds like an excellent first date. I'm in."

Looking over at Gellert Albus was plainly not amused.

Domi was though, and Gellert's comment brought a real smile to her face. "It would be fun, yes. I have just the stilettos for such an ass kicking too. I have been saving them for a special occasion."

Wincing in sympathy from across the table Scorpius didn't have to ask what she would do with those stilettos if given the chance. He'd known her long enough to know just where she'd be aiming those toothpick heels. That knowledge was one of many reasons why he generally did not seek out her company under any circumstances. But he wanted to talk to Al after dinner and he wanted to make sure the other man wouldn't have a chance of avoiding him and the confrontation brewing between them. Hence the fact that he was sitting across from his target.

"What gets me is I was in the room at the time." Al muttered loud enough for everyone to hear. "Do they honestly think I would have slept through something like that?" Domi was a loud person by nature, therefore it stood to reason that she would be just as loud during…and he so did not want to go there. His head hurt enough already.

Rolling her eyes Domi shook her head at her cousin's naivety. "They do not really think Christopher and I had sex, Silly. They just enjoy speculating about it because the girls don't like the competition and the guys like to imagine sex. Especially sex involving me." She added with a gleam in her eyes.

"Your ego is even healthier than mine." Impressed Gellert toasted her with his glass. "Who would have thought that was possible."

"It shouldn't be." Albus muttered as he shook his head over both their comments. "It really, really shouldn't be."

)

Since no one was backing up his idea to start kicking ass without bothering to take names Al spent the rest of the meal in virtual silence. His stomach was still not close to a hundred percent and all he was eating was soup and crackers. The thought of eating anything else was too nauseating to put into words. He'd only come to dinner in the first place to give his cousin moral support and show unity among their ranks. Otherwise he'd be in bed with his covers pulled over his head in acute misery.

So he mostly played with his food, viciously drowning crackers in said soup until there were more mushed up crackers in the bowl than soup.

Wisely, no one commented on this and left him to it.

Finally everyone else was done and as a group they all got up and headed out, ignoring the eyes drilling into their backs as they did so. Or at least everyone else ignored them, Al met what gazes he could and glared at the person until Albus got ahold of him and practically dragged him out of the room.

Sandwiched between Albus and Domi Al let himself be led off, knowing better than to think he could shake either in his present mood. Well that and he was reluctantly amused at how much this reminded him of being sandwiched between his parents when they were convinced he was up to something and needed both their supervision. That thought led to what kind of a kid would result if Albus hadn't been gay and Domi were interested in him and that thought was so amusing that Al was actually in a pretty decent mood by the time they got back to their common room. A boy with Albus's brains and Domi's vanity and ego was a pretty damn hilarious thing to imagine.

Or he was in a good mood until Scorpius's hand came up to lay heavy on his shoulder.

"You guys go on ahead." Scorpius told the others. "Al and I need to talk about something."

"No we don't."

"Yes we do." And the look Scorpius gave Al would have done Andromeda Tonks proud. "And don't even think about trying to wiggle free because we're going to talk whether you like it or not."

Since he'd all but abandoned his best friend to Malfoy's clutches the night before Albus wasn't about to do it again. "If he doesn't want to-."

Al cut off Albus's words with a raised hand. He knew that look on Scorpius's face well. It was the same face the other man had worn the night he dumped him. When Scorpius's used that face he was a man on a mission and he would say what he wanted to say come hell or high water. "Fine. Let's take this outside. We'll be back shortly." He added, giving his friends a look that stated they were not to be followed.

And not waiting to see Scorpius's reaction Al headed back down the hallway, deciding that they'd use the balcony from before, the one Scorpius's had been standing on that day of the thunderstorm.

Scorpius gave the rest looks that indicated they weren't to be followed too before taking off after Al.

"So are we gonna follow?" Domi asked Albus. This wouldn't be the first time after all and she didn't like a Malfoy thinking he could give her orders and expect her to follow them. She wanted to eavesdrop just to piss the former Slytherin off.

"Not this time." And Albus took Domi's arm just in case she decided to do so. "Now let's escort you back to your room and then we'll head to ours and hope those two get back soon. I'll let you know if there's anything we need to deal with once he's back."

"Spoilsport."

)

Walking out and onto the balcony Al took a seat on a bench placed up against the castle wall, using the wall for support as he leaned up against it, waiting for Scorpius to let him have it. Scorpius never got physical when he was angry, the man always attacked with words instead. He would have preferred the fists, Al thought as he watched Scorpius walk over to stand in front of him.

Crossing his arms in front of him Scorpius wondered if Al had deliberately chosen this venue because of the lack of light. Al was in shadows, which meant he couldn't read the other man's expression. Not that he was that good at reading the Gryffindor to begin with.

"Last night." Scorpius didn't see the point in wasting time. "Why wouldn't you let me help you? You pissed me off deliberately, didn't you?"

"It's over and done with, Scorpius. Why hash it out and piss each other off?"

"What pisses me off is the fact that you always do this. Even drunk you had to have realized how stupid you were being, sending me away when you weren't in any condition to take care of yourself. What if it hadn't been Christopher who found you? They don't consider this the darkest wizarding school for nothing. There are plenty of students here who were raised to curse the day your father was ever born. What you did was stupid and you aren't. Why can't you ever accept my help?"

Actually, at the time that hadn't even occurred to him. It should have, but Al thought being nearly fall down drunk was a decent excuse for not thinking too clearly. "If I just admit I was an idiot will that satisfy you?"

Scorpius glared at him. "You're not answering my question and you know it."

"I can accept your help. We helped each other with our homework, didn't we?"

"That's not the same thing. When it's important you want me as far away from you as possible. Like that time you got the chickenpox."

"I was contagious! And before you bring Albus into it he'd already had it so it was okay for him to be around me."

"I'd already had it too, not that you'd listen to me!"

"Then you should be glad I was more worried about you than I was about Albus."

Reaching his limit Scorpius moved in and shocked the hell out of Al by sitting down on the other man's lap. Wrapping his arms around Al's neck so that he wouldn't fall off Scorpius's tone indicated he was dead serious. "I'm not moving until you answer me."

Standing still as a statue Al couldn't believe what the other man had just done. Of course Scorpius was probably too mad at him to consider the fact that he might actually enjoy being sat on.

The two staying that way for a good ten minutes it was Scorpius who finally spoke again. "Aren't I heavy?"

A smile twitching on his lips Al wrapped his arms around Scorpius's waist, amused when that made Scorpius twitch in his lap. "You aren't heavy at all. Though this would probably be more comfortable for you if you straddled me instead."

Face going as red as a tomato Scorpius whacked Al upside the head. "Quit trying to use sex to distract me! I know you do it, I'm not stupid."

Al chuckled, more amused than annoyed by the head whacking. "Sorry. You're just really adorable when you're embarrassed about it. Some things never change I guess."

Scorpius wasn't sure what he thought about being called adorable. If any other guy had called him that he'd probably be pissed off but it was Al…and that somehow made him happy, even though it shouldn't have.

And so they spent another ten minutes or so in silence, Al the one to break the silence this time. "Are you really going to sit on me until I answer you?"

"Yes."

Al thought about pointing out that he liked the close contact, but that would only make things worse. As it was he had one hell of a hard on. Luckily Scorpius either wasn't noticing it or was too embarrassed to comment. But they did have to get inside soon or Albus would come looking for him and this position could be taken badly.

"Scor…when this term ends things will go back to the way they were before. We won't see each other, much less talk. Why should it matter to you that I don't want your help? That I'm willing to deal with the consequences rather than depend on you? I'm a Potter, you're a Malfoy. I'm not supposed to want your help and vice versa."

Scorpius didn't buy it. "It's more than that and we both know it. If it had been Gellert last night you would have let him help you and you know him even less than me. AND you have less reason to trust him. So it's not a trust thing and its not like I've never seen anyone throw up before so what is it? Why just me? If the reason was simple you'd just tell me so I know it isn't."

Al twitched, annoyed with the line of questioning. He could piss Scorpius off, it wasn't like he didn't know every one of Scorpius's buttons. But Scorpius would be expecting that and so it would take some really, really low blows to get the other man to leave him the hell alone. And Al just didn't have it in him to do that.

"Al? Please."

Damn. Mentally cursing a blue streak Al hated that he was still so susceptible to Scorpius's pleas. "I just…dammit…I don't like appearing weak in front of you, okay?"

Scorpius's eyebrows veed as he considered that. "What do you mean? You think I'd take advantage of you or something?" The idea was laughable. He would never do that and Al had to know that.

Al shook his head, frustrated and annoyed. "No. I…I have my pride okay. And it took a long time for me to repair it after the pathetic way I behaved after you broke up with me. I didn't want you seeing me like that last night because…I'd prefer you didn't have any more embarrassing memories involving me."

Scorpius was silent for a very long time after that.

"Don't ever say you were pathetic." Scorpius finally said in a serious, solemn voice. "Do you know how many people there are out there who don't have the courage, the bravery to put themselves out there the way you did." Turning his head Scorpius placed his forehead against Al's. "You fought with everything you had to…don't ever think that I don't admire and respect you. That I don't…didn't feel honored to know how much you loved me. And even though…what was between us…you can always come to me for help. If it's in my power to give you, you have only to ask."

All I want is for you to love me again, Al thought as he closed his eyes, breathing in Scorpius's scent as he absorbed the other man's nearness with harsh longing. But that was something that was apparently not within the man's power to give him anymore.

And so they sat like that for a while longer, then by silent agreement got up and headed back into the castle. Walking side by side through the darkened hallways, neither had ever been so close while feeling so apart.

When they reacted the door Al suddenly reached out and tugged on Scorpius's arm, making the former Slytherin turn to face him.

"What is it?"

"You said...if it was in your power to give...did you mean it?"

Surprised and weary Scorpius nodded his head anyway. "What do you need?"

"May I kiss you just once more? I don't want our last kiss...to be the one you gave me when you heard you weren't going to lose your hair. Silly I know but..._"

Al's words were cut off by Scorpius placing his lips against his.

And so what they thought was their last kiss was slow and sweet, conveying without words the depth of their feelings for each other. Though neither truly believed the other, they both wished with all their hearts that the kiss would never end.

But of course it did...for now.


	20. Not Pulling Punches

Not Pulling Punches

Lucky for the inhabitants of Durmstrang, the anti Domi gossipers kept down their chatter the next day and so didn't have to face the wrath of the Hogwarts students. Thinking the situation over and done with until Christopher returned, they relaxed and dismissed it from their minds until the start of the weekend when, much to their surprise, Domi was delivered a note from the Headmaster asking her to report to his office directly after breakfast.

Gellert had no idea why his grandfather would want to talk to her, but Domi shrugged it off, assuming that it had something to do with her late arrival to the school.

And so waving her friends and cousin off for the time being Domi headed to the office without a care in the world, with no idea what was coming.

A bright, surprised smile bloomed on Domi's face upon her arrival when she caught sight of the woman sitting on the bench outside the office door. "Maman!" Running forward Domi threw herself into her mother's arms with loving exuberance. "What a lovely surprise! I did not know you were coming, why did you not write to me? I would have brought Al and Albus with me."

"I didn't know I was coming either." Hugging her daughter hard Fleur Delacour Weasley pulled back and framed her daughter's face between her hands. "Your new headmaster was very cryptic in his letter; he did not tell me why I must come, only that I should. You do not know what this is about either?"

Domi shook her head. "Non. I know nothing."

The two Weasley women sharing curious looks they turned at the sound of approaching footsteps.

Three men strolled towards them, the headmaster being one of them. Domi did not know who the other two were, but there was something militaristic about the way they walked and looked. There was an air about them too, one neither woman liked at all. A cruel, harsh air that immediately put both of them on their guards. That one of the unknown men was openly leering at them didn't help either.

"Mrs. Weasley. Miss Weasley. Sorry for keeping you waiting like this." Looking more than a little nervous the headmaster did his best to work up an encouraging smile for them as they accepted his apology. "We'll be using the meeting room next to my office for this conversation, if you'll all follow me, please."

Everyone following the headmaster into the room he'd indicated the women sat down beside each other while the three men rounded the table and took seats facing them. The Weasleys sharing a look of understanding Fleur took her daughter's hand under the table, giving it a squeeze as both women faced down the men who were apparently under the misconception that they could intimidate a Weasley woman.

"Mrs. Weasley, Miss Weasley, allow me to introduce my partner and myself. My name is Maximus Strongwell, and this is Igor Krostoff. We're Aurors, from a specialized division. We appreciate you coming to speak with us, especially you, Mrs. Weasley. We weren't expecting you." The man added in stilted English, looking in the direction of the headmaster pointedly.

The women looked in the headmaster's direction as well, giving him a grateful look. These men, whoever they were, had wanted to get Domi alone and without support. The headmaster had called in her mother without them knowing. They were grateful and would thank him properly when they were alone.

"And what exactly do you want with my daughter, gentlemen?" Her face composed Fleur had a bad feeling about all this, one that told her that she should have let Bill take the day off to accompany her. But she hadn't thought it necessary. She wasn't so sure about that now.

"We just want to ask her a couple questions."

Domi raised an eyebrow. "What about?"

Strongwell was obviously in charge. "You are acquainted with werewolf WI3482219, otherwise known as Christopher Casper Worden, are you not?"

"Oui. He is friends with my cousin, and one of my best friends. They introduced me to him when I arrived last week." Domi took a moment to be amused that Christopher's middle name was Casper before focusing on the main issue. The ugly man had said that they were Aurors from a special division, and they referred to Christopher by number, like he wasn't even a person. She had a very, very bad feeling in her gut. "This has to do with him?"

"It does. How would you describe your interactions with the werewolf?"

Domi's back went up at his tone, the girl's eyes narrowed noticeably. They wanted to make trouble for Christopher, she was sure of it. And they would get no ammunition from her, Domi thought fiercely. "I do not know him well, as I said. But he seems to be a decent man. Why?"

"Because he wants to use you." Came a new voice.

All heads turning in the direction of the doorway, the five watched as yet another man stepped into the room. This one was dressed to impress, a man of money and means from the look of it. He carried with him a briefcase and there was a look in his eye that suggested he could be both charming and ruthless when necessary.

"This does not concern you, Finch." The Auror called Krostoff snarled, his dislike of the new arrival obvious.

"Oh but it does. The lady asked you a question, Strongwell. Aren't you going to answer her? Or would you like me to?" And not giving Strongwell the chance to speak the man called Finch gave Domi her answer. "These men are from the Auror division in charge of monitoring and exterminating werewolves. They're hoping to trick you into giving them something they can use to sign a death warrant for Christopher Worden."

"Is this true?" Domi demanded to know, whirling to face the two Aurors. And they weren't fast enough to hide their reactions, she thought darkly. Yes, yes that was precisely what these men were up to. That was why they hadn't wanted her to have a parent with her either. They wouldn't have wanted someone older and more mature acting on her behalf. They probably hadn't wanted the headmaster around either.

"And what do they think the boy has done, that could warrant such a thing?" Fleur added sharply, trying to remember everything her son in law had told her about werewolf laws in this part of the world. All she could remember for sure was that when any charge was made against a werewolf there was little done to prove the poor man or woman's innocence. And the harsher the charge…the higher the chance of death.

"You have no business here, Finch." Strongwell charged, getting to his feet. "You aren't their lawyer, you're Worden's." And turning his attention to Fleur Strongwell tried what he thought was a reassuring look in her direction. "You can't trust anything he says, Mrs. Weasley. He could care less about you or your daughter's welfare. The Wordens pay him well to protect them and their…dirty little secrets."

"And you think Christopher is a dirty little secret?" Domi charged with a fierce glare. "You, Mr. Finch, will you answer my Maman's question, please?"

Setting his briefcase on the table the lawyer turned to face the girl, pointedly ignoring the angry men on the other side of the table. "Of course. To make a long story short they've heard the rumors circulating about you and my client's grandson. They're hoping that they can convince you to sign documents stating that he forced his attentions on you. It would mean his immediate execution if you did. There wouldn't be a trial for me to argue in."

While Fleur sputtered and swore in French, Domi turned her head to look in the direction of the Aurors. "If you have such a document I will not be signing it, ever."

"It's in your best interests to sign." Krostoff told her, clearly pissed off that things were going so poorly. His next words were an obvious threat. "Things might be different in your country, but around here girls who let werewolves touch them are considered lower than the filthiest whore. Imagine how your stay here in Durmstrang will be with everyone thinking you're a-"

Krostoff would not be capable of saying anything for quite a while after that thanks to being on the receiving end of two simultaneous, Weasley punches.

This of course required Finch to temporarily become the Weasleys lawyer in order to keep the women from being arrested for assaulting an Auror. Which Strongwell really, really wanted to do. But thankfully, most wizarding governments frowned upon messing with the sister in law and niece of Harry Potter, especially when the two women were also on a first name basis with England's Minister of Magic. Add in the monetary grease Finch could provide thanks to his clients and the aurors were soon sent on their way.

Watching them go the headmaster turned to face the three with an apology on his lips. "I'm so, so sorry about that, Mrs. Weasley. According to the law I was not allowed to speak, only to be in the room as a witness. That's why I sent a letter asking for you or your husband to be present."

"And I am most grateful that you did." Mrs. Weasley assured him, accepting his apology with grace.

Once the apologies and explanations were dealt with the three bid goodbye to the relieved headmaster and headed out to find Al and Albus.

)

Locating them easily enough the women introduced the young men to their new best friend, Mr. Atticus Finch. Both Al and Albus were naturally grateful to him, and were more than happy to agree to sign papers giving Christopher positive character references. Finch also wanted Al, along with Domi, to write out their versions of what had happened on Wednesday night, just in case.

Doing just that Albus sent a magical messenger out to Gellert and Scorpius, who upon hearing what had happened also agreed to sign Finch's papers, stating that Domi had been alone in the bed and that if Christopher had tried to force her to do anything he'd be very, very dead already.

In his letter Scorpius went into great detail about what she would have done.

"Stupid Aurors." Fleur muttered while the students got busy writing out their various assignments with Finch's help. "Thinking such things about my bebe. That she would not report him and see him pay. And even if she did not kill him, Al and Alby would have skinned him alive for her. Our men take care of their women. Not that we can't take care of ourselves well enough." She added for Finch's benefit. "But why risk a broken nail if you don't have to?"

"The men in that division aren't known for their intelligence." Finch informed her, finding the Weasley women to be quite fascinating. It was even more interesting that the girl actually had spent the night in Christopher's room. He'd known Christopher had amazing self discipline, but to be able to resist Miss. Weasley, a girl with Veela blood, was quite amazing. And a blonde one at that. He and the boy's grandfather had assumed that the rumor was as false as the assault charges and Finch supposed it was small of him, but he couldn't wait to see the head of the Worden empire's face when he told Casper Worden the truth.

"Stupidity is probably a requirement." Was Albus's opinion as he handed his papers over to the lawyer.

Everyone agreed with that.

)

Once all the paperwork was done with Finch headed off to inform his clients that there was no need to worry about someone showing up at the family manor to take Christopher away after his change. Fleur headed out as well after spending some time getting to know Gellert, who she knew from various letters was interested in her honorary nephew. After agreeing with her daughter that the man had definite potential Domi's mother headed out too, thinking it wise to alert Harry and Minister Shacklebolt of the situation, just in case.

"Boy are you and I ever going to owe Christopher one hell of an apology when he gets back." Shaking his head Al felt a little stick to his stomach, thinking about what could have happened to Christopher if Domi had been the type to give in to pressure. It would have been all his fault too.

"Oui." Nodding her head solemnly Domi wasn't sure how she was ever going to make it up to him. She'd thought such terribly, nasty things about him in her head too. "Next weekend, when he is feeling up to it, we should take him out to dinner at the very least." She decided.

Albus nodded in agreement. "That sounds like a good idea, I'm in."

"You two will come as well?" Domi asked, including Scorpius only because he seemed to be on friendly terms with Christopher. For Christopher's sake she'd put up with the stupid Slytherin for the a couple hours. It would be part of her punishment for getting Christopher in trouble.

Gellert nodded, but Scorpius shook his head.

"Next weekend I'm going home. It's my mother's birthday on Saturday." He added, not wanting them to think he was blowing them off without reason. "My father's coming to get me after classes end on Friday."

"Oh, wish her a happy birthday for me."

When everyone looked at Al in surprise the man shrugged his broad shoulders. "What? She's a nice lady. Or at least she's always been civil to me when we've met up somewhere. That's more than I can say about the others Malfoys, present company excluded."

"Well there aren't that many Malfoys to begin with." Albus pointed out dryly. "They're always only children. There hasn't been Malfoy siblings since…how long has it been?" He asked Scorpius, trying to remember all the Malfoys he'd met in his past life. Draco had been an only child, as had Lucius and Abraxas. Abraxas's father Leonte had been one too if he recalled correctly and after that...

Doing some mental work himself Scorpius was fairly sure he was correct when he admitted that he didn't think it had occurred since the late sixteenth century.

"Wow. That's so weird." Trying to wrap his head around it Al wondered if all the inbreeding had caused that to happen.

"It just seems weird to you because your family multiplies so fast." Scorpius returned defensively, not liking the fact that he too thought it was most peculiar. He'd have to look into it next week when he was home.

Sensing a possible insult in Scorpius's comment Domi was more than ready with one of her own. "And part of the reason we multiply so fast is because we are all tres magnifique when it comes to the reproduction process. Perhaps Malfoys are not, and that is why they never have more than they must."

While Scorpius went red and sputtered a denial the others hypothesized aloud.

"That would certainly explain why you rarely see Malfoy wives smiling." Albus suggested, his lips twitching into a smile.

"And why arranged marriages are necessary." Al put in, unable to help himself. Malfoy bashing was in his blood and hard to resist.

Sending Al a murderous look Scorpius crossed his arms in front of him defiantly. "You all stop it this instant or else."

"Or it could simply be that the men kick the women out of their beds as soon as they're allowed to because they're gay like Scorpius and therefore aren't interested in sex with their wives." Gellert volunteered before adding the kicker. "That could even be the root of the conflict between the Potters and the Malfoys. Maybe the other Malfoy men have the same taste in men that Scorpius does, and since they couldn't have their Potters they decided to try and kill them. The whole if I can't have you, no one else can sort of deal."

Now everyone goggled at Gellert, the four of them gaping at him with their jaws on the ground.

"There's no way…" Al began.

"Wait till I tell Uncle Harry." Said Domi with a mischievous grin.

"Don't put those kinds of thoughts in my head!" Scorpius groaned pitifully. "Do you want to give me nightmares?"

Albus just shook his head and wished he could tell them all some of the confrontations he'd witness between James and Lucius, Draco and Harry. If there had been any unrequited love between the two pairs he'd eat his favorite hat and guitar.

Reaching out Al patted Scorpius's shoulder. "It could be worse."

"How could it be worse?"

"He could have blamed the whole lack of sex thing on your mother."

Scorpius's eyes narrowed threateningly as he pointed a warning finger in Gellert's direction. "Bring my mother into this and you're dead meat."

Gellert raised an eyebrow. Scorpius's eyes had slitted like a cat's, and he had a bad feeling about that. Still…interesting.

Noticing this too Albus took it as a sign to end the conversation. The last thing they needed was to have Scorpius transform into his Animagi form. "We should start heading for the Hall for lunch." Albus said firmly linking his arm through Gellert's. "And no more talking about Malfoys and sex or I'm not going to be able to eat a single bite."


	21. You're So Funny

Note: I wrote this well over a decade ago...and meant the Atticus Finch thing as a literary joke and to draw parallels between the book and Christopher's situation. On FanficNet there were comments, no disrespect intended towards the original Finch. I love the movie.

You're So Funny

As they walked back into the castle Al could clearly see that Scorpius was still disturbed by what had been said about his family. And Scorpius being a typical teenager Al had a pretty good idea where Scorpius's mind was at the moment. It amused him personally, because no one revved his own engine the way Scorpius did with just a smile.

Laying a hand on the man's shoulder Al gave Scorpius a look of understanding, hiding his amusement so that Scorpius wouldn't take offense or disbelieve him. "Don't look so worried, you'll be aces in bed."

Scorpius's whole face went red as a tomato, especially since the only person he'd ever truly wanted to sleep with was the one telling him he'd be aces in bed.

"And why would you think that?" Domi asked, genuinely curious as she gave her cousin a disbelieving look. To her, the only thing Malfoys ever seemed to be passionate about was hating Muggles. The rest of the time they were pretty cool, uninteresting customers. She sure as hell had never wanted to sleep with one of them.

Al paused to give his cousin a 'not helping' look before turning his attention back to Scorpius, squeezing the other man's shoulder before letting him go. "Because he's Iceland." Al announced, winking at Scorpius before jamming his hands into his pockets, just in case they got the idea to touch the other man again.

Albus and Gellert caught on pretty quick but it took Scorpius a while to remember what he knew about that particular country. He'd never been there, but he did recall having vacation plans ruined once because of…volcanic activity. Iceland had a great deal many underground volcanoes. Its name was incredibly misleading.

He was Iceland.

Going even redder in the face as he figured out what Al had meant by the comparison Scorpius was as much embarrassed as he was flattered.

"Well if he's Iceland than what am I?" Domi wanted to know, also getting the comparison after a moment of contemplation. Since Al was the one who'd snogged the Malfoy plenty of times in the past, Domi supposed he would know better than most the man's heat generating abilities. But if he was Iceland than she sure as hell better be a hotter country.

Al didn't even have to think about it. "You're Mexico."

Domi grinned, approving of the choice. "Hot, spicy and with plenty of bite. That works for me, my Caribbean cousin."

Grinning back at her Al agreed with Domi as well. He loved sand, sun, and water. Especially when you put those three together. His cousin knew him so very well. But if Scorpius was Iceland, Domi was Mexico, and he was a Caribbean, what were the other two members of their current group.

Everyone thinking about that Albus finally offered up a suggestion for Gellert. "You're sorta like Canada. But just in terms of their climate only. Politically speaking you couldn't be any more different. Actually, it might be criminal for me to compare you to it. If Canadians weren't so nice they'd probably be pretty vocal and pissed off."

"I'm pretty pissed off to be compared to them too."

Albus's lips twitched. "I said climate wise, Gellert. Most people think Canada is year round winter where people live in igloos and hunt polar bears all day. Take it from me, what Americans believe about Canadians would have even you rolling around on the ground laughing."

"Don't even get me started on the American bashing." Rolling his eyes Gellert cocked his head to the side. "So you're saying I'm someone who seems cold to pretty much everyone when in fact I'm not completely." A slow, rather salacious smile crossed the man's face. "Actually, as I recall, the northern parts of Canada are pretty much cold all year round, the north being my head in this case. While on the other hand the southern parts of the country, which would be below my belt, can get pretty damn hot as I recall."

Albus's face went as red as his hair while Al and Domi laughed at the way Gellert had twisted Albus's words, even Scorpius cracking a smile.

"But what country is Alby?" Domi asked when she was done laughing so hard she'd feared damaging her ribs.

Everyone thought hard, but no one could come up with the perfect country for Albus. They all agreed to think about it and reconvene during dinner to brainstorm some more.

)

Going their separate ways after lunch Al headed back towards their dorm room, unable to get their early conversation out of his head. And so, upon his arrival, Al climbed up into his bed, retrieved his cell phone, and dialed the home number for the Tonks/Lupin household. As he'd hoped Andromeda was the one to pick up.

After the usual chit chat and family updates Al got to the point of his call. "The reason I'm calling, Dromeda, is because I have an…unusual question for you. I was wondering if your sister…before you and Scorpius's grandmother stopped talking to each other…if she ever told you why Malfoys never have siblings."

"And you want to know why, may I ask?"

"Well because some people and I were talking and we came up with all these theories and it got me to thinking…and you know how my curiosity is. I was just wondering if there was some proven reason, like all the inbreeding or a history of miscarriages."

Andromeda's amusement could be heard through the phone. "I'm pretty sure those last two aren't the reasons. Though too much inbreeding can play a role in that area, birth defects are far more likely. Not that anyone in the know would argue that Lucius is one big birth defect."

Al had to laugh at that. "I certainly wouldn't argue with that."

"What sort of theories did you and your friends come up with? You've got me curious now."

Al began to describe the various theories, not getting very far before Andromeda broke into hysterical laughter, cutting him off in mid sentence. Giving up on trying to continue the conversation after his attempts to calm her down failed Al opted to simply enjoy the sound of her laughter through the phone's earpiece. He couldn't remember the last time he'd heard the woman laugh with such unrestrained joy. It was damn nice to hear.

He was ready to give up and try calling her back later when Teddy's voice came over the phone, his older brother wanting to know why his grandmother was practically hyperventilating with laughter. So of course Al began to sum up the conversation for Teddy but didn't get much farther with his god brother before Teddy was laughing as hard as Andromeda was.

Al was about to hang up the phone in amused frustration when a new voice came over the phone. "Hello?"

He recognized the voice straight away and had to smile. "Hi, Flora. How's my favorite girl?"

"Hi, Uncle Al, I'm as goody goody as a gumdrop. Uncle Al, how come Daddy and GG are laughing so much? GG's sitting on the floor and Mommy can't get Daddy to breathe long enough to tell her. She's real worried."

"I just told them a really funny joke, that's all."

"A knock knock joke? I like knock knock jokes. Or is it about the stupid chicken that likes to cross roads and go splat? Will you tell me the joke too, Uncle Al? Unless it's about the chicken, I don't like those. I don't think him getting hit by cars is funny."

That was the great thing about four year olds, Al thought as his smile widened. What came out of their mouths was always either entertaining or thought provoking.

It took Al a moment or two to think of a joke that was both easy to follow and age appropriate since he hadn't told any of those in a long while. But he remembered a few from his own childhood that would work. "Well, Flora…what does a ghost say when he's upset?"

"Uhmmm…well Uncle Nicky blames Peeves or that guy who didn't cuts his head off right."

Lips twitching Al had to laugh. "No, he says Boo-hoo-hoo."

It took a moment but she got it, Al could hear Flora's delighted laughter through the phone. Then Victoire got on and demanded to know what was going on before he sent her daughter into hysterics as well.

"I'd tell you but then you'd start laughing and then there'd be no one in any shape to look after your precocious munchkin." Al informed her with a chuckle, hearing Flora in the background trying to tell her mother the joke he'd just taught her. "Just tell Dromeda to send me a letter answering my question when she feels up to it. If it's not too much trouble."

After his cousin had agreed to pass the message along Al told her to call her mother for some important news before bidding Victoire a hasty adieu. If he told her what had happened to Domi earlier himself Al knew his ears would be made to suffer big time. His Veela cousins could hit decimal levels never before heard by human men when they were pissed off and Victoire was so going to be pissed off.

He was glad he was going to miss it.

)

By dinner time no one had come up with a country that perfectly suited Albus, but that didn't bother the man any. Albus was content to simply be himself as he ignored everyone's continued debate as to what country suited him best. He was busy working away in between bites anyway, scribbling away on a notepad in deep concentration.

To Gellert's amusement he found out that Scorpius hadn't been joking about the redhead's habit of singing when he was deep in thought. Albus was just humming in this case, but it was still music of a sort and new to him. Propping his head on his hand Gellert enjoyed the sound while Albus remained oblivious to his audience.

"What's he humming?" Domi asked, seeing Gellert's interest.

"'Bette Davis Eyes', I think." Al informed her after listening to the tune for a moment. And realizing that Albus wouldn't like the idea of humming in front of Gellert Al shook the redhead's shoulder until Albus turned his head and blinked owlishly at him through his glasses. "You were humming."

Cheeks flushing Albus gave Al a grateful look. "Sorry."

"What are you working on so hard?" Gellert asked, genuinely curious. Albus had actually looked like he was expending some mental energy so it definitely wasn't schoolwork the man was doing.

"Oh, catching up on my crosswords. I make them for a magazine called 'Veela'."

"It's my sister's magazine." Domi added, butting in before Albus could elaborate. "She started it two years ago. Albus does crosswords for it and no one can finish them which is why she gets him to do them for her. It's this huge ploy because we offer a reward if you can complete one of them in under three hours. People buy it just so that they can try and win the cash prize. No one's ever come close. Not that that's the only reason why people buy the magazine of course. It's the most amazing thing ever and it's going to become the most popular woman's magazine in the Wizarding World before long. Buy stock in it now." She added with a wink in Gellert's direction.

Interested Gellert reached out and picked up the notepad, reading the clues and the boxes Albus had sketched out. "And people have a hard time with this?" He asked with a sneer, looking at Albus from over top of the pad.

"Your ego is showing just a little." Al drawled, as he scooped up some peas. He personally had never been stupid enough to even try one of those lethal crosswords.

Albus's smiled a little as he retrieved the pad to continue his task. "He doesn't know how not to." But he did aim a look in Gellert's direction. "Don't get the magazine just so you can show everyone up, okay? Victoire doesn't have a lot of money to spend because of production costs and the prize money would leave a real dent in the company's account."

"Well he'd have to get ahold of a copy soon." Domi pointed out, pointing her fork in Gellert's direction. "Her subscribers are all in England at the moment. And beside, with the money Teddy says that ugly Hippogriff is going to bring in Victoire thinks she might be able to actually hire help instead of just using us family and friends. But still…leave the crossword alone, Stalanski."

"Your sister is the owner of 'Veela'?"

The five turned and looked in the direction of the table behind Al and Scorpius where a girl about their age was looking at them in excitement, her eyes wide and completely focused on them.

"You know my sister's magazine?"

Soon Domi and the girl were talking at length about the magazine, the Durmstrang student expressing interest in becoming one of those new, paid employees. The two women discussed the idea and Domi promised to write to her sister and ask her if she couldn't come and interview the girl sometime soon if she was hiring.

"And ask her to bring Flora with her." Scorpius told her as he buttered a roll. When Domi gave him a look he shrugged. "I don't get to see her that often and besides, she really wanted to meet Christopher."

Al smiled, imagining the werewolf's surprise when he met the world's number one werewolf fan. One of Flora's all time beefs with the fates was that they hadn't made her a werewolf like her grandfather. She actually thought she'd been jipped. "That would be an interesting meeting."

Everyone agreed and Domi promised to pass along the request, thinking that maybe her little niece could soften Christopher's attitude towards her somehow.

But that was probably too much to ask.

)

Arms wrapped around his waist Christopher looked and felt like death warmed over. He could feel the tug of the moon already, even though the full moon wasn't yet high enough to trigger his change from man to beast. Dominique Weasley would probably argue that he was a beast no matter what form he was in, Christopher thought with a half smile that disappeared as quickly as it had come. His grandfather had arrived to see him and that was never a good thing. Casper Worden was not the type to just drop in on anyone, much less when his grandson was shortly going to prove glaringly why he would never be able to take over the family business.

Approaching the door to the library Christopher's nose wrinkled when he recognized the scent of his uncle's cologne. Not good, definitely not good, Christopher thought as he reached out to knock on the door. When he was told to enter Christopher stepped in and carefully closed the door behind him, keeping his arms at his side.

He never showed weakness to his grandfather or uncle if he could help it.

"Take a seat beside your father."

Doing what his grandfather ordered without question Christopher took a seat beside his father, not surprised that his grandfather had commandeered his father's desk and chair. His grandfather would always take center stage so to speak.

"Mr. Finch had to go on an errand for me earlier today." Casper Worden began, not the type to beat around the bush. "That errand involved you, Christopher."

If he hadn't already been pale Christopher would have lost all color in his drawn face. Not good. Definitely not good. He couldn't think of anything he'd done recently that he could be penalized for but that never stopped the Division before. Making up reasons to kill werewolves was one of their specialties. Why else would Finch have been called in?

Patting his son's hand in sympathy Christopher's father turn his attention to his own father, his worry plain for everyone to see. "Who brought the charges against Christopher? We can buy them off, can't we? Everyone can be bought, right?"

Normally Christopher was rather disgusted with his father's habit of buying people off to get what he wanted, but in this case he was behind his father one hundred percent.

"They refused to be bought off when Finch offered them compensation. Just as they refused to press charges against you, Christopher." Ignoring his son's sighs of relief Casper turned his attention to the only grandson he had worth the money it had cost him to educate the boy. Too bad he was a werewolf and therefore useless to him. "Apparently it's going around that you've been sleeping with an exchange student at your school. The Aurors tried to get her to sign documents stating you forced her into it but she refused. She and her mother got quite violent from what Finch told me. Gave Krostoff two black eyes from what I heard."

"Awwwwwwwwwwwww!" Christopher's father exclaimed in delight, clapping his hands in front of him. "My little boy has a girlfriend!"

In unison Christopher and his grandfather rolled their eyes, sharing a look of mutual, resigned understanding.

Why oh why couldn't it have been his son who lost his ability to speak, Casper thought wearily as he shook his white head in exasperation. Life would have been so much simpler for everyone if that had been the case.

He knew Christopher would agree.


	22. Tied To Shadows

Tied To Shadows

Gellert freely acknowledged that he had lousy luck. Things rarely went well for him long term, something or someone always popping up to ruin things. Good things just did not happen to him, or if they did, there were so many strings attached that holding on to what he wanted often led to near strangulation. Some strangulation was guaranteed if Albus or a blonde was involved.

Because of this undeniable fact Gellert waited, somewhat impatiently, for the other shoe to drop. Things with Albus were just going too well to last. After pondering it for a while Gellert was pretty sure that his former lover was trying to convince himself that this was a fresh start for both of them. Yeah right. Like that was going to work.

Even after over a hundred years of doing it Albus still hadn't caught on to the fact that repressing one's past only made the inadvertable explosion more destructive later.

They had to deal with the past in order to move forward. Not that he knew how to deal with their turbulent history either, but just pretending they hadn't both royally screwed up the last time they were together just wasn't rational. And Albus had screwed up too, Gellert thought stubbornly, though he would admit to having screwed up more.

But either way, Gellert knew it was only a matter of time.

Sitting beside the man at breakfast Gellert pretended to pay attention to his half of the Sunday paper, not really all that interested in the screwed up lives of other people. Here they were, Gellert thought as he sipped from his glass, reading the paper, eating breakfast together. He'd woken up earlier in Albus's bed, though the man was only allowing him to sleep there, taking pity on him and his nightmares. And Gellert wasn't sure whether to push or not since Albus seemed to always be in the company of one of his Hogwarts friends now. He wasn't so foolish as to not realize this was likely on purpose.

That was probably also why Potter wasn't sticking his nose into their business, Gellert thought with a small sigh. The somewhat bright boy realized that picking his battles was the wisest course and that he was not going to be getting anywhere with Albus just yet.

Feeling Albus suddenly tense up beside him Gellert wondered for a moment if he'd said that aloud, but everyone around them kept talking so he assumed that wasn't it.

Setting his part of the paper on the table Gellert turned his head to see Albus staring at whatever article in the paper had caught the man's eyes. His grip on the paper was so tight that it was ripping ever so slowly. "Bad news?" Gellert asked quietly, getting that the man was furious about something.

Shoulders shaking ever so slightly from the effort of reining himself in Albus slowly turned his head to meet Gellert's questioning gaze, his sapphire eyes brilliant with barely banked fury. Holding the paper up with one hand Albus pointed to the offending article with the other.

Curious, Gellert leaned forward, the title pretty much preparing him for what lay ahead. The title of the article was 'Secret Documents of Gellert Grindelwald Found' and the picture showed a blonde woman motioning towards papers set out on the desk in front of her.

Albus+past+blonde female= screwed. Royally screwed.

Bracing for the worst while trying to think frantically of what the woman could have gotten her damn hands on, Gellert began to read, confused by the end of the article as he was unable to figure out what had set Albus off. The woman hadn't been able to break the encryptions on the official documents yet and the documents listed were ones that he didn't care if people read anyway. Everything he hadn't wanted solid ties to he'd destroyed or hidden before he'd faced off against Albus.

It was only after his second reading of the article that it hit him why Albus was so pissed off. It was mentioned in the article that one of the letters recovered referenced a planned operation, but gave no details except for the operation's name.

The operation's code name had been Ariana.

Looking up from the paper to meet Albus's cold gaze Gellert simply raised an eyebrow. "It's the name that offends you?" He asked in German, since Domi and Scorpius were at the table with them and didn't know about his and Albus's past.

"How could you use her like that?" Albus hissed back in the same language, face fierce. "How dare you…wasn't it bad enough that you…you made her a part of your…your…"

"Evilness? Inhumanity? Master Plan? Take your pick, Albus." Gellert offered coldly, ignoring the questioning looks they were getting from the other people who'd picked up on the now chilly atmosphere. "It's what you're thinking anyway so you might as well say it."

"You had no right to use her name."

Gellert wasn't about to apologize, even if he'd thought the man would accept it. Which he was pretty sure Albus wouldn't. So instead he spoke the truth. "I named it after her because she hated Muggles. Deny it all you want, but you know I'm right. And if you're honest with yourself, Albus, had she lived, she would have jumped at the chance to join my ranks."

"Never." Albus snarled in English, everyone but Gellert jumping a little in surprise.

Still speaking German Gellert met Albus's gaze squarely. "Looks to me like you copied Aberforth after I left by putting her up on a pedestal. Ariana was no angel, Albus."

"Funny then that she got to heaven and you didn't."

Getting to his feet Albus ignored the stares as he marched out of the hall, Domi and Al racing after him to catch up.

"What did you say to him?" Scorpius asked curiously, watching as the three exited the room.

"That at least one of us remembers the past accurately. And that trying to rewrite it doesn't work with minds as sharp as ours."

)

It took a great deal of convincing on his part but Albus finally got it through his best friends' thick skulls that he really did want to be alone and that that really was what was best for him. Knowing he was making Al and Domi worry ate at him, but Albus knew himself too well to think that he could handle being around them for now. They would want to comfort him, shower him with the affection that was an innate part of their personalities.

And he didn't want comfort and he didn't want affection.

So he returned to his room with that in mind, slipping into his bed and pulling out one of the drawers from the wall, the one where he'd stored his collection of IPods. Each one held a certain type of music or one appropriate for a certain type of mood.

Picking up the black one, the one with songs that reminded him of Gellert, Albus stared at its black casing. A sharp contrast from the other bright colored IPods, which had been a deliberate choice on his part. Sticking the black IPod into his pocket Albus closed the drawer and then headed back out the door.

Heading straight for the main office Albus signed himself out of school, hesitating for a moment at the space where one was supposed to fill out their intended destination. Finally scrawling 'Home' Albus nodded goodbye to the secretary and headed out of the school to the small building nearby where people could leave and enter the school grounds by.

From there it was simple enough to transport himself to Godric Hollow, even easier to break into his old house. It had been turned into a museum after his death, dedicated to him, but the security really wasn't all that great. Mostly because there wasn't really anything worth stealing inside. Most of his possessions worth protecting or hiding from public eyes had been destroyed, left to people he knew wouldn't sell them at any price, or had been left to Hogwarts.

The museum was closed on Sundays, which suited him just fine.

Heading directly for the kitchen, where it had all happened, Albus sat down in the middle of the floor where his sister had died. Where he'd lost Ariana forever.

Running his hand over the polished tiles Albus could still remember, see her laying there, her blue eyes wide and already starting to film over, a purple tinge to her lips that had seemed so dark against the paleness of her skin.

Which of them had killed her?

Did Gellert know?

He hadn't known and neither had Aberforth. Albus knew it had haunted them both to the end of their days. And neither of them had had the guts to ask her when they'd faced her in heaven. His memories were vague, but all he could recall her saying that no one need shouldered the blame for what had happened and that all was forgiven. She'd even asked his forgiveness for causing him so much pain and trouble. He hadn't let her continue, couldn't bear having her think she owed him anything, much less an apology.

And he had forgiven himself to some extent, or at least learned to live with what had happened.

He couldn't live with Gellert mistreating his sister's memory though.

Just like he wasn't sure if he could live with it if Gellert had been the one to kill her, Albus thought as he pulled out the IPod from his pocket. But the only way to find out was to ask the other man…and hope he didn't lie.

And Gellert would lie if he thought it necessary and if he way true to form, Albus knew he'd believe those lies rather than face the horror of the truth.

Or perhaps it was Gellert telling him the truth that he should fear.

Turning the IPod on Albus scrolled to the favorites section, clicking on the song that to him had always summed up his relationship with Gellert best. Sarah McLachlan's 'Stupid'.

Night lift up the shades  
let in the brilliant light of morning  
but steady there now  
for I am weak and starving for mercy  
sleep has left me alone  
to carry the weight of unraveling where we went wrong  
it's all I can do to hang on  
to keep me from falling  
into old familiar shoes

How stupid could I be  
a simpleton could see  
that you're no good for me  
but you're the only one I see

Love has made me a fool  
it set me on fire and watched as I floundered  
unable to speak  
except to cry out and wait for your answer  
but you come around in your time  
speaking of fabulous places  
create an oasis  
dries up as soon as you're gone  
you leave me here burning  
in this desert without you

How stupid could I be  
a simpleton could see  
that you're no good for me  
but you're the only one I see

Everything changes  
everything falls apart  
can't stop to feel myself losing control  
but deep in my senses I know

How stupid could I be  
a simpleton could see  
that you're no good for me  
but you're the only one I see!

"How stupid could I be?" Albus murmured as the song died out. "Pretty damn stupid."

And lowering his head into his hands as the next song began to play tears rolled down Albus's cheeks for what was, and could have been.

)

It was an hour until Albus had to come back from wherever he'd gone, which sure as hell wasn't home, Al thought as he strolled restlessly down the hallway. He called Albus's house and his parents hadn't seen him. They'd promised to call him if Albus showed up there and he never had. And if Albus didn't get back by curfew he was saying to hell with school rules and going to look for him, Al thought fiercely as he paced.

Out of the corner of his eye Al saw something that had him stopping in his tracks, turning to stare through the glass doors that led out to the outside balcony on his floor. Through the glass he could see a lone figure sitting on the stone railing, a liquor bottle in hand.

He still didn't know what had passed between Albus and Gellert, he couldn't read German and neither could Domi or Scorpius. He'd thought about asking one of the other students from that country, but he'd figured that if Albus didn't want them to know it wasn't his place to pry.

But as mad as Albus was at Gellert, Al had a feeling his best friend would be even more upset if Gellert got drunk, fell off a sixth story balcony, and died.

Opening the door Al walked over to the railing, boosting himself up so that they could sit side by side. "What are you thinking?"

"That I'd kill for a cigarette."

Al blinked, this not being the response he'd expected. "You smoke?"

Gellert poured more of the wine into the goblet he'd conjured before setting the bottle down and answering Al's question. "In my last lifetime I did. This time around my mother caught me with a cigarette before I could seriously take up the habit again. She made me swear on hers and my brother Tristan's souls that I'd never smoke anything ever again. Unfortunately."

"Bad for your health anyway."

Draining half the glass in one gulp Gellert looked at Al over the top of the glass. "And I care so much about that."

Acknowledging the point Al picked up the bottle, curious to see what the man was drinking. Eyes going as big as saucers Al looked from the bottle to the other man's face three times before he got the words out. "This…this is Fae wine! You just drained half a glass's worth of Fae wine at once!"

"Actually, that bottle was unopened before I started."

Staring at the bottle, which was only a quarter full now, Al was torn between being as impressed as hell by Gellert's alcohol tolerance, Fae wine was downright lethal, and seriously worried that drinking that much of the stuff would kill the other man.

Reading the man's expression easily Gellert smirked as he drained the rest of the glass in his hand. "I've built up quite a tolerance for it. You don't need to worry about me pitching over the side, if that's why you came out in the first place."

And just how much had the man consumed in the past to build up that tolerance? How much and how often? "Is drinking…your coping mechanism?"

Gellert rolled his eyes. "Would that make you feel better?"

"Why would it make me feel better to know you were a drunk?'

"But I'd be a drunk because I'd be trying to drown out my regrets and shame over all the terrible, horrible things I've done." Gellert replied in a mocking tone. "That's what you and Albus want, isn't it? For me to wallow in self pity, drown in my misdeeds so that I never find the happiness I denied others? After all, how can I be remotely trusted if I'm not truly, deeply, sorry." He ended with a snort of derision.

"And are you? Sorry I mean."

Gellert poured himself more wine. "You haven't stepped between Albus and I because you're waiting for him to ask you to. Or for me to do something that indicates I'm going to revert to my old ways and harm him. You haven't come at me yet because I haven't given you a reason, not because you don't want to. You blame me for his suffering. You see me as evil, or at the very least a heinous, genocide promoting, soulless dictator/monster." Taking a sip Gellert's tone became contemplative. "And most people would agree with you. But what you need to remember, Al Potter, is that there are two sides to every story."

Crossing his arms Al was willing to at least listen, genuinely curious as to what the man would say. "So what's your side of the story?"

Gellert took a moment to gather his thoughts. "I'm not perfect and I don't have a god complex. I recognize, unlike Albus, that I am only human and that what I did was wrong. People died needlessly because of my influence or personal actions and I made a terrible situation even worse. I didn't do it for power, for money or to be a hero. I'm not the hero type. I'm not even the anti hero type."

"So what were you then?"

"What am I? Good question." Sipping from his glass Gellert considered offering the other man some and then thought better of it. The last thing any of them needed was the kid drunk again. "Its human nature, I suppose, to want to label things. To squish people into categories so that they can tell themselves they know who that person is and what they're capable of. But the problem with that, Potter, is that all people are different, no two alike. For instances, some called me a dictator in my past life. But what exactly is a dictator? Is it someone who enforces their will on others, because if that's the case than at least half the mothers in this world qualify as one. Does a person have to be violent to be a dictator? How many people does he or she have to kill? What is a monster? A werewolf, a vampire? Both are called monsters, yet are they? Does the blood in one's veins, one's species, automatically define what that sentient being is?" And now Gellert's gaze sharpened as his eyes drilled into Al's. "If you take a person's life, is it automatically murder?"

"Is that how you justify all the lives you took? By thinking it was justified? For the greater good?"

"Voldemort killed more." Gellert pointed out dryly, swirled the liquid around in his glass. "But I suppose you're one of those people who thinks taking even one life is unforgiveable."

"I'm pretty sure I could kill you without any remorse, if it comes to that."

"Then we should both be VERY thankful that I never make the same mistake twice."


	23. A Way to Make Amends

A Way To Make Amends

Al stared at Gellert, not quite sure how to take that. Was it Gellert's way of saying he wouldn't hurt Albus again, or did he mean something much worse, like that he'd learned not to kill someone who mattered deeply to Albus. It wasn't his place to ask…and Al was honest enough to admit, at least to himself, that he didn't want to know if it was the latter. He didn't want to know who had killed Ariana.

"You didn't really answer my question from before." Al finally said, feeling obligated to break the silence. "About who you are."

"Didn't I?" Gellert returned coolly. "I thought I was fairly clear. I'm human. That's the best label that fits. I hate labels personally. If I were the type to label, I'd think you a small minded, self righteous, immature child with serious delusions about how the world works. I'd point out that history is written by the victors and that if you wanted to look for people just like me you wouldn't have to look hard in your beloved Britain's history. Your country sent soldiers and explorers to the Middle East, Africa and the Americas, laying waste to the indigenous civilizations there whose only crimes were having something Britain wanted. Or, if you want to claim those sorts of crimes are all Muggle doing, I would point out the enslavement of house elves, the denying goblins the right to use wands, the hunting of giants into near extinction. All are crimes…but were the men and women responsible charged? Convicted? Imprisoned for over half a fucking century? You name days after them, you don't call them monsters. Most of them probably didn't even feel a twinge of guilt and why would they, with everyone calling them heroes, prime ministers, kings and protectors. At least I recognize my sins, not that anyone seems to care."

Al opened his mouth and then wisely closed it.

"But I'll make you a deal, Potter." Gellert said after he saw that he'd rendered the man speechless. Turning so that he was straddling the wall Gellert leaned in, taking down his shields so that when the boy looked into his eyes Al saw the man who'd suffered as few men had. He looked and saw Gellert Grindelwald as the man spoke in biting tones. "If you can come up with a way that will adequately convey to Albus my sincere remorse for my past actions I'd be absolutely thrilled to listen. Since apparently fifty years in a rat infested hellhole wasn't enough for him I'm open to suggestions. Wear a hair shirt for the rest of my life? Give away all my wealth and possessions to the poor and needy? Drink myself into a stupor every night? Kill myself maybe? And don't say go out and do good in the world, that's what fucked up my life the last time."

Al remained silent, his brain not even remotely capable of forming a sentence.

"Good." When Al just stared at him Gellert gave the man an amused sneer. "I'd have been seriously perturbed if someone like you had managed to come up with something I hadn't thought of."

Swinging back around to face forward Gellert lifted the bottle to his lips this time, draining it completely. Then hurling the empty bottle into the air Gellert drew his wand so fast Al didn't see him do it until the wand was pointed at the bottle, which exploded on impact to become harmless water vapor.

Sitting there in silence, feeling like a child who'd just been chastised by a stern parent, Al couldn't have said how long the silence lasted before a creature made of silvery mist hopped up onto the wall between them, the fox turning its head to look at Al.

"Albus is back." The fox said in Domi's voice. "I think he's okay, he says he just wants to go straight to bed. I'm seeing him to your room now."

"A fox." Watching the creature turn to mist before disappearing Gellert had to smile just a little. "It suits her."

"I'm going to go meet them." Turning Al got off the ledge and then turned to look back at the other man, unsure whether he should ask him to come along or not. He didn't know if Albus would want to see Gellert, but he didn't know if it was a good idea to leave the man alone either.

"Run along and be a good best friend." Gellert told him, understanding his hesitation. "I don't intend to die again any time soon. It's not something I'd recommend."

Taking the man's word for it Al nodded and then headed out to meet his two best friends.

He had a lot to think about.

)

Sitting alone in the dark Gellert wished for another bottle of Fae wine, even knowing that one bottle was without question his limit. Well not his limit, but he tended to do things he regretted later after more than a bottle. Things like forget why he had to behave this time around.

Feeling a familiar shimmer of magic Gellert turned his head just in time to see Tommy appear before him, dressed as per usual in one of his thirties suits. "Mission completed?"

Tommy nodded. "Sure thing, Boss. When that historian chick touches those papers tomorrow they'll disintegrate into ash right quick. Not that there was anything in um that you'd need to worry about. I looked them over while I was bespelling them, they weren't nothing special or important."

"How did she get them?"

"She got um from the family of one of your old lieutenants. Paid way too much for them too. The only people who'd be interested in them would be biography writers and even then, there's more interesting stuff out there for them to chew on. That writer broad you hate so much sent the lady a letter by the way. That Skeeter woman. Wanted to see the papers after they were translated."

Visualizing the woman in his mind Gellert thought not for the first time that it was a pity he had turned over a new leaf. Her blood on his hands sounded pretty damn good to him at the moment.

"Hey, Boss?" Tommy was hesitant, but it had to be asked. "How much…have you been drinkin? You know your nightmares are worse when you've had too much hooch."

"Its Fae wine, not whiskey, Tommy. And I'm not planning to sleep tonight. My sleeping schedule is all out of whack anyway."

Tommy winced, knowing better than to offer sympathy. "You want maybe I should talk to Red? See if I can't make everything aces again?"

"No."

"Well maybe, if you told me what has Red's braid in a knot, I could, you know, give ya some advice? I know you're loads smarter than me, but sometimes I get a swell idea."

He was talking more tonight then he usually did in two days, Gellert thought in sarcastic amusement. "He's upset because I used his sister's name for one of my operation. Apparently doing so mars her spotless reputation."

"We are talking about the sister that was nuttier than a fruitcake, right? Not that she didn't have reason to be, and what happened to the kid was awful, but she wasn't all right upstairs by the end right? And it was Muggles that started the whole thing. Can't imagine she'd have a problem with them meeting a bad end or you using her name."

"That's what I said, but he's apparently decided to whitewash all of Ariana's past misdeeds. Apparently she would have had a great life if I'd never come into the Dumbledore household. Locked inside her own house, never seeing anyone but her brothers and me, knowing she was a ticking time bomb when she was lucid enough to think at all. Oh yeah, that's the life."

Tommy thought about maybe paying Christopher a visit, asking him to talk with Red, but thought better of it. The boss wouldn't like it and things were tense enough. The last thing he needed was his boss getting mad at the werewolf and losing the only friend he'd allow himself. "There anything else you want me to do, Boss?" Tommy finally asked.

Gellert consider then shook his head. "Nothing comes to mind."

Thinking he was being dismissed Tommy was opening his mouth to bid his boss good bye when the man's words stopped him dead.

"Am I a monster?"

Blinking at the whispered question Tommy instinctively reached out and placed his hand over his boss's cold one. "No, Boss." Tommy said firmly, compassion and certainly in his voice. "You ain't a monster. Never was and never will be. Monsters, they don't got no heart, they don't ever think about anyone but themselves. They're a selfish lot, monsters, they like harming people and shedding blood because they can. You got heart, Boss, you just hide it real well. And you don't kill cause you like killing. You don't enjoy makin people suffer. You's is good people, Boss, or I ain't the most stylishly elf in Durmstrang."

Looking down at the spindly hand over his Gellert smiled, just a little. "You're good people too." He said softly, deciding one moment of sentiment wouldn't completely ruin his badass rep.

"Peachy keen, that's me, Boss. Peachy keen."

)

On Tuesday Christopher arrived back at school with both his grandfather and father. They said it was because they wanted to thank Domi in person, but Christopher wasn't fooled. They wanted to meet her because Finch had told them what she looked like. Worden men loved blondes, they had always been their fatal weakness. Only they usually preferred dumb blondes, which Dominique Weasley most definitely was not. Which was why he was sort of looking forward to introducing her to them. They'd have no idea what to make of her. Though they'd probably assume her personality was why he hadn't put the moves on her despite her considerable appeal.

As they entered the entrance to the school their eyes automatically when to the stairs in front of them, Christopher distinctly hearing the indrawn breaths of the men behind him when they caught sight of the lone figure sitting at the top of those stairs.

While they watched Domi got to her feet, gracefully hurrying down the stairs towards them. When she reached them she made a beeline for Christopher, throwing herself into his arms to hug him as much as she could.

"I am so, so sorry." Domi looked up at him, her regret and guilty written all over her face as her golden brown eyes shimmered tellingly. "I didn't know that I would be getting you in such trouble by staying with you. I thought you were just being an ass, not wanting to let me stay in your room. I should have let you explain, instead of bulldozing over you to get my way. Can you ever forgive me?

Christopher nodded automatically, hoping desperately she wouldn't cry.

"You are too kind." A brilliant smile lighting up her face Domi rested her face against Christopher's chest, snuggling up against him.

Frozen, Christopher couldn't have spoken a word even if he could. Hesitantly he wrapped his own arms around her, taking it as a good sign when she didn't move away. Hugging her was nice, Christopher thought as he inhaled her delicious scent, his weariness seeming to melt away as the smell of her swam in his head.

It was his grandfather clearing his throat that brought the two teenagers back to their senses, reminding them that they weren't alone.

Letting Christopher go Domi apologized for her rudeness and introduced herself to them, both men charming and full of thanks and flattery as they spoke to her. Surprised at the marked difference between their personalities and Christopher Domi wondered what it said about her that she actually preferred the werewolf's brash attitude. The other men were very complimentary, but Domi was getting the distinct impression they'd be the same around any other good looking woman. If she hadn't been so gorgeous, Domi had to wonder if they'd be so understanding about her getting Christopher into such a bad mess earlier. Christopher's dad kept looking at her breasts too. Not in a dirty old man sort of way, but definitely not how a guy should look at a girl's breasts when the girl they were attached to was young enough to be his daughter.

Though she couldn't really blame him, hers were absolutely spectacular.

The large grandfather clock tolling the hour, Domi graciously called an end to the conversation so that they could hurry to the hall for breakfast. Linking her arm through Christopher's Domi bid the male members of her friend's family adieu and off they went.

Since Christopher couldn't talk Domi did all the talking on the way to breakfast, which suited her just fine since she had a lot to tell him anyway.

"So while you were away Gellert and Alby stopped talking to each other and neither of them will tell us why. Alby is seriously pissed though and Gellert is all brooding and gothic hero. If color wasn't a part of our school uniform I'd expect him to show up wearing all black for his classes, it's that bad. I'm sort of bad at Al too, but not really. He's been asking me these weird questions and they make my head hurt. He wanted to know what I'd do if I made a mistake that ruined the lives of a bunch of people. Of course I told him that I'm way too smart to make that kind of mistake but he said that even brilliant people make stupid mistakes. Then I said that even if I were that stupid my family would step in and stop me, but then he said that I should imagine I didn't have anyone around to stop me. So then I said that if that happened I'd dedicate my life to making what I'd done up to the people I'd harm but then he said to imagine that I'd killed them all. Can you imagine me killing loads of people? I mean really. Well okay, it wouldn't be completely out of the question, but I'd sure as hell have one hell of a good reason for doing it. Like they'd taken over the world and made wearing ugly clothes a requirement."

Amused, Christopher's lips twitched, biting the inside of his mouth so that he didn't smile too wide.

Far from done Domi continued on her rant. "So to make a long story short Al and I argued back and forth until I finally lost it and told him that all anyone could do in that situation is try to spend the rest of their life being as good a person as they could be. That if they were genuinely sorry and contrite then that was all anyone could ask of them. There's nothing else you can really do, having screwed up so badly. Don't you agree?"

Christopher considered for several moments and then nodded his head. Material or monetary gifts wouldn't undo the damage, and he didn't believe in the Catholic idea of confessing and automatically being forgiven. Behaving for the rest of your life sounded like a good way to start making amends to him.

"I knew you would agree." Pleased, Domi smiled up at him. "Al didn't like that answer though. Apparently that was all he could think of too. I asked him why he wanted to know, but he was all evasive on me. Annoyed me to no end, let me tell you. If it weren't for the fact that there's enough tension in our group I'd be very peeved at him."

They had a group now? Christopher wondered what Gellert thought of that. Or had thought about it before he'd gone all Bronte hero on them. He was a part of a them now. How weird was that?

"Oh, I almost forgot, Al and Scorpius are getting along better now. They aren't like a couple or anything, but they're sorta friends again which I guess is good. Possibly. But this whole fighting thing between Albus and Gellert really screwed up my plans, because I was going to take you out to dinner next weekend to show you how sorry I was but now that they're fighting, and Scorpius can't come, it might end up just being the two of us."

She wanted to take him out to dinner? Possibly just the two of them? Was she trying to screw with his mind? And he should really not think about the word screw when speaking with or about her. Those were the kinds of thoughts that would get him killed. By her.

Arriving outside the door to the hall Christopher automatically slid his arm out of her grip, thinking it best that they not enter in such a misleading way. He knew the hits her reputation must have taken already, he wasn't going to contribute any more to it.

Thinking somewhat along the same lines Domi waited until they stepped into the hall before linking their arms once more, tugging him over to where the rest of their group was sitting with her head held high and the bearing of a queen.

They were sitting together and anyone who didn't like it could kiss her perfect arse.


	24. Tensions Mount

Tensions Mount

For the rest of the week Albus refused to talk to Gellert, going so far as to refuse to argue with him in class no matter what he said. He froze the man out with an icy coldness that had everyone marveling and keeping their distance. Well everyone but Al and Domi, who braved the storm to try and calm their friend down. They weren't remotely successful, but they kept trying.

Scorpius was counting down the hours until he could get home and get away from the tension.

On Thursday Gellert walked down the hallway like a man condemned to the gallows. No, he probably would prefer the gallows in this case, Gellert thought darkly as he jammed his hands in his pockets. As far as he was concerned he had nothing to apologize for and if Albus wanted to act like a sullen teenager than that was the moron's business. Unfortunately, Albus ignoring him got to him more than anything else the man could have done. He could take Albus being mad and angry at him, but cool indifference…

That actually hurt.

And that Albus could still hurt him pissed Gellert off to a degree he rarely felt. That the anger was directed at himself for caring just made him that much angrier.

So he needed to mend things with Albus so he stopped feeling like this. And according to Domi the only way that was going to happen was if he apologized and did a little groveling.

Groveling. Him. Never going to happen.

But he was going to humiliate himself by apologizing and that better be enough if Albus wanted him to continue to play fair. Because playing fair was getting old, fast. Not to mention the fact that it just wasn't the way he operated. The deck was always stacked in his favor or he didn't play. That was just common sense.

Finding Albus in the library, exactly where Domi had said he'd be, Gellert sighed in self disgust and then walked over to take a seat beside the man, reaching out a hand to place on the redhead's shoulder, forcing the man to remain in his seat.

Ignoring the muscles tensing up under his hand Gellert spoke in a voice meant for the man's ears only. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry what I did before hurt you and I'm sorry that you think I have no respect for your sister's memory."

Gellert never apologized. Immediately suspicious Albus forgot he was ignoring the other man, looking up and over to meet Gellert's gaze. The man did look a little uncomfortable and pained, but that was probably over the apology, not guilt over what he'd done. Before he could help himself Albus asked the question that had been on the tip of his tongue for a very long time. "Are you even sorry she's dead?"

A raised eyebrow was the only thing that gave away Gellert's surprise at the question. "Of course I'm sorry that she died when she did. It changed everything." If the girl hadn't died he and Albus would have remained together. They might have actually been happy. The girl's death had ruined both their lives.

"I meant are you sorry she died because she was a human being and my sister. Not sorry because her death screwed up all your plans for our illustrious future together." Albus's voice all but dripped bitter sarcasm.

Gellert was pretty sure this was another case where he should lie through his teeth, but again, he thought honesty was probably the best policy in the long run since Albus was convinced he was a liar anyway. "I am sorry you lost your sister. I know how much she meant to you. But speaking as someone who knows what it is to be trapped and tormented by ones sins… you said you saw her in heaven. Most people would consider that a vast improvement over the life she was living here on earth."

If Albus could have gotten any paler he would have.

"I don't mean you imprisoned her, Albus. That she was some victim and you and Aberforth her cruel jailers. I mean that as much as she was trapped in that house, she was even more trapped inside her mind. What those Muggles did to her damaged her beyond repair and after killing your mother…she knew, Albus. She knew in her lucid moments that there was blood on her hands. Her mother's blood. Why do you think her attacks increased after you mother's death? The knowledge broke what little happiness and control she had left. And she had to know that next time it could be you or Aberforth lying dead at her feet. Who would want to live like that, knowing your very existence put the people who mattered most to you at risk?"

"We never blamed her."

"Which probably only made it worse." When Albus stared at him in confusion Gellert gave the redhead a knowing, somehow sad look. "There was no one to make her pay for what she'd done, Albus. No way to redeem herself in her eyes. To do penitence. You both patted her on the head and told her it was okay when she knew it wasn't. And you and I understand better than most, the need to atone and be forgiven."

"And have you atoned?"

"I stayed in that cell for half a century, didn't I?"

The look Albus aimed in Gellert's direction said plainly that wasn't enough. "You were only in that cell because I weakened you enough for the authorities to put you in it."

"You still haven't realized, have you?" Chuckling harshly Gellert shook his head at the puzzled redhead. "I thought on some level…it wasn't like you to miss the details back then. But I guess you didn't spare me much thought after our last duel. Why would you, your job was done."

Jerking back like he'd been slapped Albus glared at his former lover. "Didn't think of you? I spent my entire existence after you left fighting with myself not to. How dare you suggest that…and you're changing the subject."

"I'm really not." And getting to his feet Gellert's face was as cold and heartless as a warrior god statue. "And since you like the idea of me atoning so much…you might stop and think about who designed and had Nurmengard built in the first place. Then you might want to ask yourself how, given that that was the only prison they'd send me to if I were captured, I'd fail to anticipate and plan accordingly for that possibility."

And leaving Albus to think about that Gellert turned and headed out, making a mental note to ask Tommy to get him some more Fae wine. He had a feeling he was going to need a lot more of it in the near future.

)

Tracking down Christopher, who had been cornered by Domi as to where he'd like to go to dinner on Saturday, Gellert walked over, latched onto Christopher's arm, and dragged him off without sparing the girl a glance. Ignoring Domi's outraged threats and demands Gellert kept on moving, Christopher twisting and turning so that he could walk in tandem with the other man instead of being dragged.

Unlike Domi he knew where he and Gellert were going and why. He'd been expecting it.

Following behind them Domi didn't let them out of her sight, wanting to know what they were up to. Once she knew that she was going to give Gellert hell for interrupting them, but for now she wanted to see why he wanted Christopher bad enough to risk her wrath.

The two men ignored Domi, making their way through the various floors and hallways until they opened a door to a room Domi had never been in. Following after them Domi wrinkled her nose automatically at the smell of the place. It had not seen soap and disinfectant in a very long time. Looking around she saw several strange looking mechanical devises and long, thick mats in the center of the room. Turning her head with the intention of asking them why they had come to such a place Domi raised an eyebrow at the sight of them both undoing their ties, their robes thrown over the side of one of the machines. Both eyebrows hit her hairline when they removed their shirts and walked over to stand in the middle of the mat topless.

Okay…she wasn't going anywhere.

Making her way over to the machine their clothes were draped over Domi selected one of the robes, spread it over the machine, and sat down on it. No way was she sitting on the machine's padding. Who knew what was soaked into it?

As she watched the two grapple with each other Domi had to fight the urge to drool. She was only human after all, and they were both sexy examples of the male species. Though her man was better than Alby's, both in body and in skills, she thought proudly. The two were street brawling, there was obviously no rules or particular style being used. Anything went and neither showed the other anything resembling mercy as far as she could tell. They were out to shed blood and Gellert was losing more. Already blood dripped from Gellert's mouth and he was already favoring his left leg a little. Christopher didn't have a mark on him.

And wasn't he just dreamy, Domi thought with a sigh, licking her lips over his perfect, sexy as hell eight pack. A six pack was all well and good if you were willing to settle, but Domi had never settled for anything but the best in her life.

The werewolf was hers whether he liked it or not.

Both men ignored the woman ogling them, in truth they were hardly aware of her. It was all about the fight and the need to dominate and control the situation. Of course Christopher held back, he more than anyone knew Gellert's limitations. He'd helped Tommy take care of Christopher after he was injured. But he understood the other man's need to lose himself in a battle since Wimbledon was refusing to even fight back. And Christopher enjoyed the work out, since Gellert was the only one outside his instructors he'd ever physically fought with. They hadn't sparred much in the past, but Gellert knew he was always up for one.

After a while they stopped, more because they were likely to do real harm if they continued than lack of desire to continue. That and Gellert's limp was obvious.

Limping over towards Domi Gellert made no effort to hide his injury, too focused on other things to care what she thought. Albus had probably told her about it anyway. He was still talking to Domi after all.

Taking a seat beside her Gellert gave her a questioning look, feeling her gaze on him. "Enjoy the show?" He asked, leaning forward to massage his bad leg.

"Are we going to need to take you to the Medical Wing?"

"I don't go there unless it's to tell the head nurse how to do her job." Which he had to do often.

Standing in front of them both Christopher retrieved his wand and used it to create a swirling wind around him, drying the sweat from his body. Showing sympathy would piss Gellert off.

"Don't get rid of the sweat on my account."

Looking in Domi's direction Christopher just shook his head at her words, a faint blush tingeing the tops of his cheekbones.

Amused by them both Gellert got to his feet, reaching out to retrieve his shirt. His leg was already throbbing, but that was fine with him. Physical pain he could deal with. It was emotional that he didn't deal well with at all.

Watching him closely Domi reluctantly turned her attention to Gellert as he finished getting dressed. He was hiding it really well, but she was no one's fool. He was hurting as much physically as he was emotionally. She also didn't see how the brawl had done him a lick of good. But that was a man for you. Their way of dealing with emotional troubles was to compound it. Dumbasses.

Straightening his tie Gellert gave her a look, one that said plainly that he knew what she was thinking and could care less. "See you later, Christopher, thanks."

Nodding his head Christopher put a restraining hand on Domi's shoulder when she tried to get to her feet, her mouth opening to tell Gellert what he should do. When she looked up at him Christopher just shook his head.

"As his friend you should care that he's hurting." She told him, her eyes fierce.

With his wand Christopher wrote his thoughts in the air.

'It's because we're friends that I know sympathy will only make it worse for him. Nothing worse to him than pity'

)

It was only one a clock in the morning when Gellert slipped out of bed, the pain too much for him to remain still and abed. Heading for the common room as per usual, leaning heavily on his cane for support, Gellert entered the room before he noticed the woman sitting on the couch, a quilt over her lap to keep her warm.

"Get your fine ass over here before I make you."

"I should have expected this." Walking over Gellert stood by the couch, refusing to wince as he met Domi's knowing gaze. "There's nothing you can do, you know that right?"

"You don't know everything." Domi sneered back. "Now sit down and roll up your pant leg."

Honestly curious to see what she was up to Gellert grinched his teeth and took a seat beside her, propping his bad leg up on the table. Reaching down he rolled up the pant leg, ignoring her sound of shock when she saw the condition of his leg. She was just lucky she wasn't seeing it as it had been right after he'd gotten it. Now that had been downright nauseating.

Once his hands were out of the way Domi leaned forward and placing her hands on his leg began to work the knots out of his muscles, ignoring his muffled sounds of pain as she ruthlessly continued, knowing that the pain was necessary to gain the final result. "My father was mauled by a werewolf before I was born." She said softly, more to drown out his sounds of pain than because she wanted him to know about her. "Most of the damage was to his face, but Greyback got his right shoulder pretty good too. Depending on what phase the moon is in it can knot up pretty bad. When I was little he'd tell me a kiss made it better, but when I figured out he was just humoring me I took it upon myself to learn how to massage someone properly."

"Yet you're interested in Christopher."

"Christopher wasn't the one who hurt my father." Domi returned with a shrug. "And even if he had been, while in his wolf form, it wouldn't have been his fault. Anyone who says differently is an idiot."

"Most everyone is."

Amused, Domi gave Gellert a questioning look, genuinely interested. "You like women even less than men according to Alby. Why is that? You think we're not as smart as you?"

"No. Women are, in general, smarter than most men."

Domi was surprised enough to look up from her work to give him her full attention. "Then why do you like us less? You value intelligence above all else. You'd think you'd like us better."

"Exactly." And now the hint of a smile appeared on Gellert's lips despite the pain. "Women are intrinsically smarter than men yet they let themselves be subjugated by men because they're more concerned with pleasing those men than furthering their mental acuity. They underplay their intelligence because men are stupid enough to find intelligence a negative, intimidating quality in women. Thus I have less respect for women because they chose to be stupider than they are. Most men are just plain stupid. And don't even get me started on how emotional you women are. We'll be here all night."

Laughing at his logic Domi grinned at him. "That's an interesting theory."

"You think I'm wrong?"

"No, I'd agree that most people aren't nearly as smart as you and I." And now she gave him a knowing, amused look. "Of course, my faith in your intelligence is somewhat shattered now that I've seen how you deal with your personal problems. Hurting yourself so that you can shift your pain from emotional to physical is just plain stupid."

"Is it? Wouldn't you rather be physically hurt than emotionally? Assuming that is why I sparred with Christopher." Gellert added as she went back to working on his leg, the massage actually helping now that the worst of the knots had loosened.

Domi snorted in a somehow ladylike way. "I am right. And from where I'm standing Alby is dealing with the pain of whatever you did better than you're dealing with whatever he did to you."

Gellert snorted back. "Because ignoring the problem is always the best way to go about something." He shot back. "Trust me when I say I know better."

Domi paused and considered this. "Okay…maybe you have a point."

"I always have a point. Otherwise, what would be the point in talking at all?"


	25. A Busy Saturday

A Busy Saturday

As planned Scorpius went home for the weekend, though he planned to come back early Sunday morning since Domi had grudgingly informed him that Victoire was coming to interview someone about a job and was planning to bring Flora with her. No way was he throwing away a chance to spend a Sunday with one of his favorite people.

And it was a good thing they were coming Sunday, because everyone had plans for Saturday.

)

On Saturday morning Al and Albus got up bright and early, getting dressed without making a sound. Together they headed for the main office, where they signed out for the morning and headed off on their planned excursion without running into another student.

Usually Albus would have felt bad about involving his best friend in breaking and entering, but if you couldn't break into a prison with your best friend, who could you?

Arriving at Nurmengard at about seven o'clock, Albus quickly turned into his Animagi form, which was a phoenix. Reaching out Al grasped his friend by his talons and beating his wings Albus flew them up past the black walls of the infamous fortress, their aim the top most tower. Thankfully the security around the tower was now non existent, so they were both easily able to get in.

When Al was at eye level with the thin slit that passed for a window he transfigured himself into a cat and leapt through the window, Albus following him in. Both transforming back into their human forms, Al and Albus looked around them, wincing at the cell's interior.

It had not been changed since Gellert had died in it at the hands of the Dark Lord. No one had ever been imprisoned between these walls but him, and there were actual tours during the country's peak tourist season. But there was nothing alive in the room now, not even the rats Gellert had mentioned to Al.

But still, the room was cold and lifeless, empty except for the small bed covered in one thin blanket and some very old, dead straw that was scattered on the ground to suggest what had once stuffed the bed's mattress. That was it.

"Pretty charmless, huh?"

Both boys whirled around to stare at Tommy, who leaned against the wall with his hands in his suit pockets.

Albus's gaze was direct. "Gellert sent you after us." It was not a question.

Tommy grinned and walked over to them, a swagger in his steps. "Like I told ya before, you're my boss's moll, I gotta keep your safe or I'll end up swimming with the fishes. And I don't like swimming."

"I'm not his girlfriend." Albus reminded the man.

"Right. And my eyeballs don't resemble golf balls." Reaching up Tommy tipped back his hat so that he could see Albus better. "He said you'd come here, that you'd want to see for yourself if he really could have left this place if he wanted to. So look around. I'm curious to see if you find his escape hatch or not."

Challenged Albus wandered, Al leaving his friend to it as he opted to talk with Tommy instead. Ignoring the two of them Albus found what he was looking for after twenty minutes of searching. "These bricks move. It's like Diagon Alley, only a great deal more complex. You have to write or draw something on the wall and it doesn't require a wand either, does it?"

"Very good." Impressed but not surprised, Tommy nodded his head. "What do you need to write AND draw?"

"Why don't you show me?" Albus returned, seeing no point in wasting his time when the elf already knew the answer.

Since seeing was believing, and he wanted Red to believe, Tommy walked over to a bare wall, motioning to Al with one hand. "I'm gonna need you to hold me up to Boss's eye level. I can't levitate myself and draw at the same time. Multitasking is for chicks."

Smirking at his words Al came over and picked the elf up, shifting Tommy around until the elf was precisely where he wanted to be.

Leaning forward while the two wizards watched Tommy traced the letters A and G into the wall and then encased the two letters with the symbol for the Deathly Hollows.

The letters and shapes glowed a deep, ominous red wherever Tommy's finger touched, and then the bricks began to fold in upon themselves, seeming to retract until there was a gap wide enough for two men to stand in before them. Before them was open sky.

"And before you point out the drop and his lack of wand, don't bother. You two aren't the only ones with Anamagi forms. He just hates his so he pretends he doesn't have one. He was never registered before, and he hasn't turned into it once since he came back that I know of. And don't ask me what it is because he'll kick my boney ass if I do. Suffice to say, he could have left this way if he wanted to."

"So why did he stay?" Al asked the question Albus was too stunned to ask as he lowered the elf back to his feet.

"First, because he knew that if he escaped Red would be sent after him." Tommy turned to look at Albus's, the wizard reluctantly meeting his gaze. "And you both got off lucky the first time, am I right? It's sorta funny when you think about it. You're both known for that epic battle, and it was only that epic because you were both bending over backwards not to do the other lasting harm. It would have been over pretty damn quick, don't you think, if it had been a free for all. You were always evenly matched, but with the Elder Wand on the Boss's side…well, if he'd been trying to kill you, we both know you would have been dead."

"Since you said firstly, I assume he had more than one reason." Was Albus's cool response, even as he wrapped his arms around himself protectively. He didn't like thinking of that battle, much less remembering it. It had been the second worst day of his life after seeing Ariana killed in front of him. And yes, he knew, as he had known then, that it was only their ties to each other that had kept the battle raging for so long. That they'd walked away without permanent injury was a testament to their control and to their bond, whether they liked it or not.

Tommy wasn't bothered by the wizard's cool look. He understood and so simply answered the man's question. "The second reason was that by the time he'd decided enough time had passed he'd come to the realization that you were right about what he'd done. And so he stayed. Once, when he was totally hammered, he told me that he only tried to use the escape hatch once while he was a prisoner here. It was after he learned you'd been killed. He used up all his strength getting across the room and standing, he didn't have enough left to transform, much less fly. He was too sick at that point to do anything. Good thing too, as it turned out. You still had things for that Snape guy to do before he kicked the bucket."

"You want us to believe that Gellert chose to remain in this place, willingly, for almost half a century." Al's disbelief was plain.

Tommy's gaze was dead serious however. "Are you saying that you wouldn't have done the same in his shoes, little man?"

Now that was a tough question to answer.

Ignoring them both again Albus walked over to reclose the wall, and in doing so closed off some of his old wounds too, though his face betrayed nothing.

He had a lot to think about.

The visit had not been a waste.

)

Returning to the castle Albus split off from Al, the latter opting to go seek out Christopher and give him advice for his planned date with Domi. Wishing Al luck with that Albus waved his best friend off and then headed back towards their dorm room.

Entering the room he went straight over to Gellert's side, carefully pulling the curtain apart just enough so that he could see that it was indeed occupied. Letting the material fall back Albus moved to his own side of the room and removed his shoes and socks, stashing them away along with his glasses. That taken care of Albus walked back over to separate the curtain so that he could slide in.

The curtains blocked out the light very effectively, but his eyesight wasn't yet so bad that he couldn't make out where he was going. Sliding in beside Gellert, who was sleeping on his side, Albus got under the covers as well and then reaching out gently pulled the sleeping man against him, whispering quiet commands that had Gellert allowing himself to be moved up and onto the redhead's chest, snuggling against him automatically as the blonde instinctively sought their habitual sleeping position.

Once Gellert was in place Albus wrapped one arm around the man's waist, the other hand lifting to stroke the man's short blonde curls, closing his own eyes as he concentrated just on that simple task.

"So that was your first visit to my cell, right?"

Not bothering to open his eyes Albus nodded, continuing to stroke. "It was."

"I realized too late that I should have hired a professional decorator when I had it built."

The best Albus could work up was a small, sad smile. "It couldn't have hurt."

"You never came to see me. I thought you would. I waited for you to."

"I couldn't." Albus had to clear his throat as he struggled to get the words out. "I couldn't see the prison I'd put you in. It was bad enough, knowing every day that I'd put you in a cell and sentences you to a lifetime of…. I knew you would have preferred death…but I was too weak to do that for you. I couldn't live with your blood on my hands. Seeing you suffer, knowing it was my fault…but I should have come. I should have."

There was a long silence and then "If you'd killed me during the duel I'd have never learned from my mistakes. I would have never gotten out of hell."'

"Small comfort."

Gellert thought about it a bit more, feeling the beat of Albus's heart under his hand, absorbing the familiar beat as he considered what Albus had said and was doing. "Does you being here mean that you've decided to forgive me?"

"It means I'm working on it."

So he wasn't off the hook yet, Gellert considered, but apparently they'd made some small progress. Enough that Albus was here with him, choosing to be like this with him of his own free will. Unless this was the man's bottomless well of guilt talking. "Then you're here out of pity? Because you know why I'm sleeping now."

Albus turned his head and brushed his lips over the curls he was stroking. "No. I'm here because I needed to hold you."

"Well that you can do for as long as you like."

Albus's smile was genuine this time. "Promise?"

"Promise."

)

That night Christopher found himself getting ready for a night out with Dominique Weasley. She had apparently thought it rude to choose between Gellert and Albus, and Al would have been the odd one out if they'd gone as a threesome. So it was her final decision, whether he liked it or not, that they were going out to dinner together. Just them.

It had been a long time since he'd been this nervous about anything.

Glancing at himself in the mirror Christopher straightened the collar of his amber colored shirt. She'd even come into his room earlier and picked out his clothes for him, just so she wouldn't have to tell him where she was taking him. Or at least that had been her excuse. Christopher was willing to bet that a large part of it was that the clothes obsessed Weasley had just wanted a look at his wardrobe. He'd apparently passed muster there, which was a relief.

He did not want to go shopping with that woman.

At least he didn't have to wear a tie, the werewolf decided as he gave his appearance one final look over. Simple black trousers and dinner jacket, amber shirt. And a wristwatch just because that was more convenient than the pocket variety, he silently added to his mental list. The clothes were neatly dressed and unstained, he couldn't do much with what was in them. He was no prize, that was for sure. And that was before you added in his scars.

But since there was nothing he could do about that she was just going to have to be beautiful enough for the both of them, he decided. He doubted she'd have a problem there.

Grabbing a coat from his closet Christopher took a deep breath and headed out, locking his door behind him. They'd agreed to meet at the stairs leading down to the main floor and he arrived there early, which he supposed was only in his favor. Dominique Weasley was not the sort of girl who let a man keep her waiting.

Ignoring the stares he was getting Christopher put his coat on for something to do and then leaned against the stair banister, not making any eye contact until his sensitive nose picked up a familiar, seductive scent.

Straightening up automatically, Christopher turned and watched her walk towards him, a vision in flames.

Domi's dress shimmered with metallic gold, red and copper, clinging to her body like a lover's caress. It was deceptively simple in cut, floor length and long sleeved with her shoulders bare. It was the sort of dress that said it was the body inside the dress that was worth looking at.

Without thinking Christopher lifted his hand, palm towards his face, and drew it across his face in the sign for beautiful.

Domi didn't recognize the sign, but she recognized the look in his eye and she grinned, pleased he approved. She was getting similar looks from those around them, but she barely noticed as she walked over to link arms with him, smiling up at him. "Ready to go?"

A nod was the best Christopher could manage.

)

When they arrived at their destination Christopher did his best not to smile, silently thanking the fates for cutting him a break. He knew Domi was determined to buy him dinner but it just wasn't in his DNA to let a woman pay for a meal. Call him old fashioned or chauvinistic, but that was just the way he'd been raised. Wordens might be known as financial sharks, but it could never be said that they didn't spoil their women rotten.

"Have you eaten here before? One of my roommates recommended it and it gets excellent reviews."

Christopher pulled out his pencil and paper from his jacket pocket and quickly wrote out that it was an excellent choice.

Smiling smugly as they got into line Domi was completely taken aback when the maitre d visibly paled at the sight of Christopher. How rude, she thought angrily, golden brown eyes flashing dangerously. Or they did until the man all but body chucked everyone else to get to them with a welcoming smile plastered on his face.

"Mr. Worden, so sorry, didn't see you there. Your uncle is entertaining guests at your usual table but if you would give me but a moment I can-."

Clearing her throat Domi gave the man a dazzling smile. "We have a reservation under Weasley."

"Oh." Blinking several times under the power of her smile the man automatically smiled back before he caught himself. "I will check on that right away, so sorry for the wait."

Watching the man race back, ignoring the rest of the people in line, Domi raised as eyebrow as she turned to look up at Christopher. "Why am I thinking we are about to get a much better table than the one I reserved?"

Because you're one smart cookie, Christopher thought to himself, even as he shrugged in feigned ignorance.

"Hmmm."

In under a minute they were being ushered into the restaurant, the maitre d himself escorting them to the elegantly set table where already a waiter was hovering to devote himself to their every whim.

Puzzled but game, Domi smiled at the waiter as Christopher helped her out of her own coat, amused when the older man all but gave himself a brain aneurysm trying not to pay her too much attention in Christopher's presence. Thanking Christopher as he pulled her chair out for her Domi enjoyed him showing manners for once as he helped her into hers before taking his own seat across from her.

"Your uncle has sent over a bottle of champagne for you, but if you would like something else you have only to ask." The waiter began, motioning to the bottle cooling beside their table.

Normally Christopher wouldn't trust his uncle, but he knew the old man wouldn't risk harming the restaurant reputation by trying something in it. Picking up the bottle Christopher studied the label and nodded in satisfaction, holding it out to Domi for inspection.

Taking the bottle from him Domi smiled. "I'll take your word for it."

Retrieving the bottle from her the waiter quickly poured the champagne for the two, leaving them to look over the menu once that was done.

There were no prices on the menu, which always made her nervous, but her roommate had assured her that there was nothing on it that would completely bankrupt her. She'd borrowed money from Al though, just in case. Looking around Domi would have called the restaurant understatedly elegant, and she was pretty sure that the numerous jewels being worn by the women staring at them were real. In fact, Domi thought with amusement, half the room seemed to be sneaking peeks at them.

Well aware of the looks they were getting Christopher pointedly ignored them. They always stared, but he imagined Domi's presence had a lot to do with their lack of finesse.

And who could blame them really?

She deserved to be admired.


	26. A Welcome Distraction

A Welcome Distraction

Once their orders were given Domi handed over her menu and then turned her attention to the man sitting across from her. He should have looked out of place in such an elegant setting, but he didn't. There was an air about him tonight, the sort of extra something that she supposed was a result of his upbringing since Alby and Al had told her that Christopher was well off.

Whatever it was, it was very, very sexy.

Looking back at her Christopher withdrew his notebook and pencil from his pocket. He had a feeling he'd need it once she'd finished giving him the once over.

He didn't have to wait long.

"So your family comes here a lot?" She asked, deciding to start small before getting to the nitty gritty stuff.

Christopher nodded his head, mentally praying that his uncle would not be coming over. They did not get along, especially if his aunt was with him. That would really, really not end well.

"It is very nice." Domi agreed with a smile. "And you look very nice in it. Normally you have a sort of brutish air to you, which is very appealing by the way, but you don't tonight. Or at least it's a restrained version tonight. I like it too." She added with a silvery laugh.

'It's the clothes' Christopher wrote in his notebook, passing it over to her to read.

"Well clothes do often make the man. Though I prefer you without them." Wiggling her eyebrows when the faintest of blushes stained his cheeks, Domi grinned in delight. "Which reminds me, I meant to ask you before why you've obviously trained in fighting techniques. You can't use them against anyone without the possibility to being jailed, so why learn?"

Retrieving his book from her Christopher wrote out his answer. 'For the illusion of control. That's what I hate most about being a werewolf, losing control and becoming a victim of my own body. I learned to fight, I built up my body like this, to give myself complete control of it when the moon's cutting me a break. It's useless of course, since the moon controls me, but the illusion of control makes me feel better'

Domi's golden eyes softened, though she wisely kept her sympathy to herself. "Ironically enough, my niece, who you'll meet tomorrow, has always wanted to be a werewolf. Is there…anything remotely good about being one?"

Christopher mulled that over. 'Not really. The superior senses can come in handy, but they can backfire too. Probably the only good thing is that being a werewolf is it's the reason I rule at non verbal spells. I've always had to do them that way, so I don't have to fight the urge to speak the spells the way you all do'

"But isn't it really hard to do non verbal?"

Christopher shrugged, than wrote. 'It's no different than a blind person learning to read Braille or a deaf person learning to read lips. When you have a handicap, the strong learn another way to do the things everyone else takes for granted. My grandfather had tutors work my ass off to learn non verbal too'

Taking a sip from her glass Domi considered his answer. It still sounded really hard to her, but she supposed that that really was one of the few advantages of Christopher losing his voice so young. He'd been young enough to learn how to do things differently before he learned to do it the way everyone else did.

When music began to play Christopher turned his head, a faint smile crossing his lips. Ah, a perfect way to get out of talking about himself. 'Do you want to dance?'

Reading the notebook Domi raised an eyebrow in surprise. "You dance?"

By way of answering Christopher got to his feet, came around the table and held out a hand to her.

)

Her night with Christopher was too perfect for words. Domi was absolutely delighted to find out that he could indeed dance, really well in fact. He was surprisingly light on his feet for a man of his size. She'd lay serious money that what their peers called dancing would be a whole other story, but that could be learned too.

So everything was good up until Domi realized that their waiter had absolutely no intention of giving her a bill for the meal. In fact, he appeared to have no intention of asking for money from either of them. He wished them a wonderful evening and then just took off like his work was done.

Thinking that Christopher had slipped the man money behind her back Domi's eyes narrowed threateningly as she focused all her attention on Christopher and demanded to know why there was no bill.

Christopher hadn't survived rabid werewolves to die at the hands of a girl for no good reason. Hopefully, truth really would be the best policy. 'My family owns this restaurant chain. It wouldn't occur to them to charge us'

Domi blinked, her mouth dropping open as she stared at the words he'd written. "But…but…." Words failed her. This restaurant was apparently a very popular chain in Eastern Europe. It had been written up by professional, famous critics. She'd expected to blow serious money here. And they all belonged to his family?

"Just how much money do you have?"

Christopher wrote up a general estimate of his net worth on his notebook and passed it over.

Domi stared at the figure and then gapped up at him like a landed fish. Her brain just couldn't compute that many zeros. The mind boggled.

Lips twitching Christopher turned to a fresh page. 'Shall we go?' He wrote, knowing better than to smile. That would only antagonize her further.

Domi's brows furrowed, struggling to re-engage her mind. "This is why you were happy to see we were going here. You never intended to let me buy you dinner, did you?"

His face told her the answer before he wrote it down.

"Hmmmmmmmmmmm."

Sensing impeding trouble if he didn't think fast Christopher quickly got to his feet, coming around the table to hold out a hand to her. He'd rather she not kill him in public.

Taking the offered hand automatically Domi allowed him to help her to her feet. "Don't think you're getting off that easily, Christopher." She warned. "When my brain re-engages you're going to be in for it."

)

As luck would have it Domi's brain didn't fully re-engage until they had arrived at the school. Letting Christopher escort her to her door Domi smiled when they had reached their destination, pleased to see that he was looking at her warily. She'd hate to be dating a stupid man. The sooner he learned to fear her wrath the better off he'd be.

Christopher thought about apologizing for tricking her a little, but figured she might as well learn now that he was more than a little old fashioned when it came to how he treated women. Not that they were actually dating or anything, but they had been out together in a social setting. He'd been raised to think there were rules about that sort of thing, whether she liked it or not.

"You aren't going to apologize, are you?"

Christopher shook his head.

Domi crossed her arms as she met his gaze squarely, considering the various courses of action before deciding to go easy on him. "Just know that you're damn lucky I owed you one, Christopher. And if you ever pull a stunt like that again I'll neuter you and make you my bitch."

The werewolf raised an eyebrow, but wisely didn't try to argue the possibility.

"Good man. You may learn yet." And balancing up on the balls of her feet Domi grabbed his lapels and laid one hell of a first kiss on him.

Eyes widening Christopher didn't so much as move a muscle as her lips moved softly against his. The only thought in his brain was that she tasted even better than she smelled and just how the hell was that possible?

Slowly, giving her plenty of time to pull away, Christopher's hands rose to gently settle on her waist, absolutely amazed when she drew closer rather than told him to keep his damn hands to himself.

Best night ever.

She agreed.

)

On his way back from breakfast Al paused, catching sight of Scorpius coming home from his mother's birthday party weekend. Lifting a hand in greeting Al walked over to meet the man half way, raising an eyebrow at the strained look on his ex's face. "It wasn't a very happy birthday?" Al asked, coming to a stop in front of Scorpius.

Scorpius groaned, running a hand through his already tousled hair. "It was one for the record books, that's for sure. I got zero sleep last night, and most of it is all your fault." Scorpius added, jabbing a finger in Al's direction.

"My fault? What did I do?"

"I'll tell you what you did, Potter, you and that stupid conversation you got us all involved in about Malfoys and sex! I couldn't get the whole thing out of my damn head, especially with them all right there in front of me, so of course my mother noticed my weird mood and cornered me Friday night after dinner. And I'm a Malfoy, which means I'm a Mama's boy, so of course I gave up under her questioning and spilled everything. AND the rest of my family was listening in, so they all heard too. So now my grandfather is pissed off at me and my grandmother is pissed off at my grandfather for being pissed off at me. My mother thought the whole thing was hilarious and my father didn't speak to me for the rest of the evening and that was just Friday night. On Saturday my parents came down late for breakfast and I take one look at their faces and I know exactly why my father insisted we all turn in early. He spent the night proving to himself and my mother just how good Malfoys are in bed and they acted like teenagers for the rest of the day while my grandparents bickered like the old married couple they are. I got no sleep last night imagining what my parents were up to and I think I'm permanently scarred for life!"

Al's lips twitched, calling upon all his strength not to burst out laughing.

"Don't you dare laugh." Scorpius ordered, his cheeks flushed with color. "I will curse you. Don't think I won't."

"My poor baby." Reaching out without thinking Al pulled Scorpius into a hug, rubbing the blonde's back soothingly while he smirked behind the man's back.

"I'm not a baby." Scorpius grumbled, though he did sound like a very grumpy toddler, even to his own ears.

"Of course you're not." Al assured him soothingly, cuddling him close.

Wrapping his arms around Al's waist Scorpius hung on, absorbing the comfort. Of course he was well aware that Al found the whole thing funny as hell, but he was too happy being cuddled to care. He'd missed this. Damn how he'd missed this.

After he was sure he had his laughter under control Al pulled away slightly. "Just try to look on the bright side of things."

A sulky pout on his lips, Scorpius saw nothing good about the situation. "What bright side is there?"

"Well…isn't it a good thing that your parents still have the hots for each other? I mean, isn't that better than them hating each other or wanting to get naked with someone else?"

Scorpius supposed that was a good thing, but he just didn't want to think about it, period. Not to mention the fact that it seemed really unfair to him that his parents were getting sex at their age while he was getting absolutely zero. He was the teenager after all. That sort of behavior was expected of him. And thinking about sex while in Al's arms was probably not one of his better ideas.

Thinking the same thing Al forced his hands to drop away. "So feeling a little better?"

"A little. I'll feel a lot better when Victoire is here and I can pick a fight with her."

Al rolled his eyes, but didn't try to discourage him. It wasn't like Victoire didn't like to fight with Scorpius after all. They just loved ripping into each other. It was in their genes. Who was he to deny them their fun?

"When did the demon say she was bringing Flora here?"

"According to Victoire's letter they'll be here shortly after lunch."

"Then I'm going to have a nap. Wake me up when they get here."

"Will do."

)

Arriving at the station outside of Durmstrang, Katara Hiegel kept a watchful eye on the two children standing at her side. She hadn't planned this trip to the school, which was why she'd told her cousin she could take Tristan for the afternoon. Now she had some serious research to do and two children to dump on her godson. Gellert was not going to be happy with her, Katara thought wearily.

The sound of English being spoken with a French accent reaching her ears, Katara looked over and blinked at the woman who'd apparently arrived just before her and the kids.

The blonde woman speaking to the school's caretaker was the sort of woman that made every other woman around her feel like a hag with dragon pox. She was indescribably gorgeous, with the sort of flawless body and face that had Katara thanking the fates that her husband wasn't with her. This was the sort of woman your husband or boyfriend met in your very worst nightmare.

Coming up beside his godmother Tristan clutched her leg as he too stared at the woman in white. "Is she an angel?" He whispered.

Patting the boy's curly head Katara sighed as she envied the other woman's centerfold figure. "No. That she is not."

"Look at the girl's hair, Mommy."

After reminding her daughter that it was rude to point Katara turned her attention to the little girl who was standing by the vision in white. The girl was wearing a bright red coat, which only accented the girl's unusual hair. It was pitch black and in high pigtails, but there were multiple braids mixed into the do and they were all either pink or red.

The child also bore a striking resemblance to the woman which was just unfair.

She had a child and still had that figure?

Maybe she'd made a deal with the devil, Katara thought with a small smirk. That would explain a lot.

When the woman started walking towards her Katara had a bad moment of thinking she'd said that last part out loud, but apparently she hadn't, when the woman stopped in front of her with a dazzling smile on her perfect face.

"Ello. You speak English, yes? My name is Victoire Lupin and I understand that you are headed up to the school as well? The caretaker said that you might be able to show me the way to the Main Hall. My sister will be waiting there for us and I do not want to make her wait because I got 'orribly lost. My sense of direction is not good." She added with a sparkling laugh that had the children smiling back at her in reaction.

Responding in English Katara accepted the hand the other woman held out. "I'm Katara Hiegel, nice to meet you. And the Hall is on our way, so it would be no trouble at all. This is my daughter Anya by the way, and my godson Tristan."

Victoire smiled warmly at the girl as she said hello, the girl smiling back shyly. Then turning her gaze to the boy Victoire's smile grew in delight. "Ah, such curls!" Stooping down Victoire reached out and stroked the boy's very curly head. "You are so very adorable, little one! I am 'oping for a boy next and it would be magnifique if he had such curls as yours."

Tristan had no idea what the woman was saying, but he figured she was just going gaga over his curls the way all girls did. They always wanted to play with his hair, especially his mother. His big brother had curls in his hair too, but no one touched Gellert's hair without his big brother's permission. Not even their mother.

Sensing the boy was even shyer than the girl Victoire rose to her feet, not wanting to overwhelm him. Turning she motioned for her daughter to come over, Flora abandoning the doll carriage she'd brought to race to her mother's side. "This is my daughter Flora. Flora, this is Mrs. Hiegel, Anya, and Tristan."

"Hi!" Since there wasn't a shy bone in Flora's body the little girl beamed at them. "It's nice to meet you. Are you here visiting someone too? I love your curls by the way! I make my hair curly sometimes too, but not today. Today I gots to look tough."

"And why is that?" Katara asked, now noticing that the girl was wearing earrings in the shape of crossbones. An interesting look for a girl who couldn't be much older than Tristan.

"Cause when my Grandmere was here before there were mean men who said mean things to her and my Auntie Domi." Flora informed the lady, deliberately puffing out her chest as she stuck out her chin belligerently. "And if they come here again and say mean things to my Mama, I'm going to make them sorry they were ever born. And then I'm going to sic my uncles on them! I have a bite like a Doberman, my Daddy said so."


	27. Three Little Munchkins

Important: Tristan speaks no English and Anya very little. Unless otherwise stated they are speaking German.

Three Little Munchkins

Watching the various Brits congregate in the common room once Domi left to go pick up her niece, Gellert gave Albus a questioning look. "There's something I don't understand here. Aren't teenagers supposed to show distain and disinterest in anyone not of their age group? You're all acting like someone famous is coming, not a four year old chatterbox."

"You wouldn't understand."

"You know I hate when you say that."

"I know." Blue eyes dancing with amusement Albus smiled at the blonde. "What I mean is that you're a very self contained person. You don't need or particularly want human contact unless that human can be of some use to you. We all love being around Flora in particular because she loves us all to bits, is very affectionate, and brings joy and laughter wherever she goes. You just can't be depressed around her, she won't allow it."

Gellert considered this. "So you're all using her to feel better about yourselves."

Rolling his eyes Albus just shook his head. "No, Gellert, we aren't using her. It's a symbiotic relationship. We make each other mutually happy by being together. Do you spend any time with your little brother at all?"

"Tristan? Tristan's afraid of me. He's afraid of most everything actually." Were he still the army raising type, his little brother would so not be on the recruitment list. Ever. The boy would be utterly useless. Not to mention their mother would not be pleased. Not pleased at all.

"Your little brother is afraid of you?"

Sensing this was a bad thing in Albus's eyes Gellert did some hasty rewording. "Not just me, he's scared of everyone. Well, almost everyone. But seriously, he's so intimidated by his nanny that he won't even tell her that he doesn't like jam on his toast. He eats it anyway just to be non confrontational. He's the shyest, most non confrontational person I've ever met. He's scared of fireflies for Merlin's sake."

"Have you thought about telling the nanny for him about the jam?"

"Why would I do that?"

Albus smacked his forehead with his palm. "You know, this is why the fates made you gay. In all their wisdom, they realized that you should never be allowed to have children."

And thank the fates for that, was Gellert's opinion. Anya and Tristan were bad enough. He remembered their birthdays only so that he could count down the years until they were old enough to look after themselves and not seem to want things from him that he didn't know how to give them. Anya in particular seemed to want him to love her even more than Albus had once upon a time. And that was saying something.

"You know, Gellert, just because they can't speak multiple languages or understand our history with the goblin race, doesn't mean they can't be interesting to be around. Not to mention the fact that all your relationships shouldn't be dependant upon what you can and can't get out of it."

"And why would I want to go to all the trouble of forming a…connection with someone if it isn't going to benefit me in some way?"

Albus thought about the various arguments he could propose to prove that children were wonderful, imaginative, and thought provoking creatures, but figured they would pretty much fall on deaf ears. So instead, he decided to propose an experiment. "When Flora gets here, spend some time with her too. She likes to learn things and I'll supervise. If you don't enjoy being around her than I promise that should your family ever bring Tristan here, I'll help you look after him."

Since his mother and godmother often came to the school to do research, Gellert figured there was a possibility that one of the small people in his life would be thrust into his care at some point.

"It's a deal."

)

After collecting Flora's baby carriage the two women herded the children up the steps leading to the castle. While they did so Flora explained to Mrs. Hiegel how they had come to learn she had a bite like a Doberman. A few months before she'd seen a man hitting his horse with a whip while at a country fair. She'd ordered him to stop and when he hadn't she'd clamped her teeth down on the wrist he was using. He'd screamed like a girl and had needed stitches. After her explanation Flora had smiled and shown her teeth, Katara seeing immediately why the girl's teeth would have done seriously damage. The girl's pearly white canine teeth were more than a little pointy.

The second shock was the fact that it wasn't a doll or stuffed animal in the baby carriage. What it was, was a porcupine. A porcupine that had been turned blue except for a single stripe of black down its spiny back. It had a pink bow tied to the end of its tail and its name was Eeyore.

All in all, Flora Lupin was not your average four year old.

Opting to change the subject Victoire asked the woman about herself, curious to learn more about the family of the man interested in her Alby. Katara was happy to talk and soon Victoire learned that the Headmaster was not actually Katara's biological grandfather, but that he was the only father she'd ever had. Katara's father had passed away when she was still just a baby, so her father's brother had stepped into the role. Hence the fact that she and Gellert's mother had always felt more like sisters than just cousins. Victoire also learned that Gellert's little brother was only two months younger than her own Flora and that Tristan had been a complete surprise to his parents.

"An adorable surprise." Victoire summed up with a wink in the shy boy's direction.

"Very much so. He looks just like Gellert did at that age. Of course Gellert cut off his curls as soon as he could get ahold of scissors. He hated the fuss people made over them. He thinks they're too girlie." Katara gave a little laugh. "And to be honest, the angelic halo of curls never fit his personality, even as a child."

Victoire nodded, opting to be diplomatic. "I understand that he is very serious."

"That's a polite way of putting it."

)

The five visitors were soon joined by Domi, who was waiting for them when they arrived at the Main Hall. When it came out that Katara was hoping to dump Tristian and Anya on Gellert, Domi offered to just bring them along with Flora. If he didn't want to look after them then she'd be happy to watch them instead.

Pleased by the offer Katara thanked the girl, who was almost as beautiful as her older sister and would probably be just as beautiful, once she made the complete transition into womanhood. Katara opted to head back to the common rooms with them though, knowing Gellert would be peeved if she didn't at least explain the situation to him in person.

So they all trooped along and talked amongst themselves while Flora listened with interest. The other kids spoke weird, so she couldn't talk to them after all.

Arriving at their destination Victoire handed her younger sister a backpack's worth of stuff for Flora to get into while she was gone and then turned to help her baby out of her coat.

Katara, meanwhile, walked over to exchange greetings with her godson, who reluctantly left his book and chair to come over and let her hug him. He'd spotted his brother and godsister, and being no fool he knew what was coming. It appeared that his little bet with Albus had encouraged the so called fates to annoy him as soon as possible.

The fates had never, ever liked him.

Draping Flora's coat over the buggy Victoire smiled as her daughter, knowing the girl was just itching to get into everything and meet everyone. "You will be good, okay? I will be no more than two hours, bebe."

Flora nodded and then turned to her aunt with a questioning look. "Where's Christopher?"

"He is right there, little one."

Looking in the direction her aunt was pointing at Flora recognized the werewolf immediately from the scars her daddy had told her the bad werewolves had given him when he was as little as her. Target spotted, Flora took off without a backward glance.

Still in the process of reeling from the fact that there appeared to be two Domis now, Christopher didn't have time to blink as a little missile came hurtling in his direction at breakneck speed. Scooping her up instinctively Christopher held the little girl up to his eye level by her waist, finding himself staring into a pair of bright blue eyes that changed to gold while he watched.

"Hi! I'm Flora Lupin, I'm four. You're Christopher and you're a werewolf. My grandfather was a werewolf but I never gots to meet him cause he died when my Daddy was a baby. Isn't that pitiful? I wish I could be a werewolf like my grandfather but my Mama says I shouldn't wish that cause it hurts real, real bad. Does it hurt real bad?"

Christopher nodded his head because that seemed the thing to do.

Giving him a sympathetic look Flora patted his arm. "I'm sorry you gots hurt. I'd kiss it better, but that probably wouldn't work, huh? My Mama says you can't talk at all, which I think is worse than anything. I love to talk and I'd cry and cry if I couldn't. Those stupid werewolves were real mean to do that to you. I hope your Daddy kicked them really, really hard for being so bad. You shouldn't bite people when you're a werewolf."

Dazzled by her Christopher put her back on her feet and patted her head, not knowing what else to do. She was just too adorable for words. Was this what Domi had been like when she'd been a kid? Thank the fates that they hadn't met when they were kids. She would have had him hooked before he'd even hit puberty.

Thinking the werewolf might need rescuing Victoire came over to introduce herself to her sister's new boyfriend after bidding Katara good bye as the older woman headed off to start her research. Christopher was quite handsome, Victoire thought as she shook the werewolf's hand. She liked him already.

But Flora was far from done. Grabbing Christopher's hand while her Mama introduced herself Flora tugged on his arm until he gave her his attention. "I want to introduce him to Eeyore, Mama. You want to meet my porcupine, don't you?"

That's what he was smelling from the baby carriage? Smiling apologetically at Victoire Christopher let himself be dragged over to the carriage, genuinely curious now.

They were almost there when Flora spotted Gellert too. Letting go of Christopher for a moment Flora rushed over and grabbed Gellert by the arm, dragging him with her to show him her pet too as she chattered away about how much fun they were all going to have.

This was too much for Anya. It was bad enough that the little girl was hogging all the attention and had prettier hair than her, but to take Gellert from her was just more than the little girl could stand.

Bursting into tears Anya hurled forward and threw herself against her godbrother's leg, latching on to him with all her strength as she lashed out at the other girl in German. "Gellert is mine, not yours! You can't take him from me, I won't let you! Christopher and Gellert were mine first!"

Taken aback Flora let go of Gellert's arm, bewilderment all over her face as she tried to understand what was going on.

Gellert didn't know what was going on either. All he knew for sure was that he didn't want to be in the middle of it.

Thankfully Victoire was on hand to smooth things out.

Taking her bewildered daughter into her arms Victoire rubbed the girl's back soothingly. "She's not mad at you, sweetie. She is just a little upset." She didn't have to speak German to know what the girl had been saying to her daughter. "Gellert and Christopher are very special to her, and she was upset that you were taking all their attention. Just like you didn't like it when I made you share your play clothes with Elizabeth when she came to visit."

Albus, meanwhile, knelt down to speak to Anya since Gellert was apparently going to be useless in this situation. "Anya, it's okay, you don't need to be upset." He assured her in German. "Flora isn't going to take them away from you. She just wants to play with them too."

Both girls considered this.

"If I share Gellert with her can I keep Christopher?" Flora wanted to know.

Domi laughed as she came over to hook her arm through Christopher's. "Christopher is mine, sweetie. But I'll share him with you and Anya for a little bit."

Everyone found Christopher's blush rather charming.

Anya, meanwhile, was looking up at Gellert for conformation of the redhead's words. "You like me better than her? Even though her hair is so much prettier than mine?"

Gellert looked at Flora and marveled at the female fashion sense. Though he did find her shirt rather amusing, he'd give her that. It depicted an angry looking bunny with the words 'Daddy's Little Grrrrl' under it.

"Anya, would you like Domi to fix your hair like Flora's?" Albus offered, giving Gellert a questioning look as well as he switched to English. "Do you think her mother would mind? It would be easy to undo afterwards. It would probably cheer her up."

Since his godmother had stuck him with the kids Gellert figured she deserved to come back to find her daughter looking a little worse for wear. It would discourage her from assigning him babysitting duties in the future. "Domi can have her."

That settled Victoire headed out for her interview, reminding them to come get her if they needed help with her little handful.

)

Anya was thrilled at the idea of getting special hair and Domi was thrilled with an excuse to do a make over. The girls couldn't communicate of course, so Christopher was drafted to sit nearby and act as a written translator for them both. Flora sat in the werewolf's lap and chattered away quite happily about all the things she could do with her hair, content to have the werewolf just listen to her and nod when appropriate. Al and Scorpius came to sit by them too to join in the conversation and keep Christopher from being overwhelmed. Scorpius was sorry he'd missed a chance to fight with Victoire, but getting into a yelling match in front of kids was wrong. They'd find time later, they always did.

The girls taken care of Albus turned his attention to the other child who had yet to speak a word to anyone. The boy had hovered beside one of the couches during the various conversations and it was quite obvious that he wanted to draw as little attention to himself as possible. He was also impossibly cute with his golden curls and Albus went mushy just looking at him.

"Why are you looking at my brother like that?"

Albus turned to smile at Gellert. "I bet you looked just like him when you were his age. All those curls!"

"You and my curls." Gellert grumbled as he studied his brother. Yes, Tristan did look just like him, but their personalities couldn't be more dissimilar. For the sake of humanity that was probably a good thing. But still, the boy annoyed him and he never knew how to act around him.

Since Gellert was obviously in no hurry to talk to his brother Albus took the initiative again and slowly walked over to the boy, watching those chocolate brown eyes go wide as the boy processed the fact that a complete stranger was coming over to talk to him.

"Hello, Tristan. My name is Albus and I'm a friend of your brother's." He began in German, careful not to crowd the boy in. "Would you like to come and play with us?"

Play? With Gellert? His big brother didn't play. His brother didn't like to do anything fun.

Looking over his shoulder Albus gave Gellert a look that said plainly that he was to get his butt over there ASAP.

Sighing, Gellert walked over, looking down at the boy who looked back at him like a deer caught in headlights. His brother was never happy to see him.

Realizing that this was going to be harder than it looked Albus decided it would be a good idea for him to get them busy doing something. Maybe the boy would relax a little with something to occupy him. "I'm going to see what Tori brought Flora to play with. I'm sure there's something we can all play together."

Praying the two would be all right by themselves for a minute Albus walked over to Flora's backpack and began looking through the contents. There was a coloring book and crayons, but that wasn't something they could really do together. Flora's snakes and ladders game, but if the kid was afraid of fireflies than the mini snakes would probably not go over well. Flash cards or Go Fish probably wouldn't work either, since Gellert wouldn't let the boy have a sporting chance. Then he saw the book Victoire had tucked in at the back and smiled. Taking it out Albus grinned at the worn collection of Robert Munsch stories that Harry had bought for Flora's father when Teddy was little. It was in English, but translating it into German wouldn't be a problem for him.

Walking back to the silent brothers Albus held out his free hand to Tristan. "Would you like to be read to?"

Shyly Tristan nodded and took Albus's hand.

Looking over at Gellert Albus gave him a pointed look that said he was going to help whether he liked it or not.

Gellert was not looking forward to it.


	28. Think About It

Think About It

Of the various ways he'd thought about spending his afternoon, Gellert had not anticipated the possibility of spending it at Albus's side as the man read his little brother a story about a girl who had to rescue her prince from a dragon. Tristan looked perfectly at home on Albus's lap and Albus seemed quite happy to have the boy there. Since Albus was the only person he would remotely enjoy having in his lap Gellert didn't see the appeal. That he envied his brother wasjust one more annoyance.

So Flora crawling up into his lap came as a complete surprise to Gellert, causing the blonde to tense as the girl settled back against him.

Flora didn't notice his discomfort, she had much more important things on her mind. "How come you're saying the words wrong?" Flora demanded to know since she knew her Munsch stories by heart. "You're telling it all wrong, Uncle Alby."

Albus looked up from the book with a smile, understanding the girl's confusion. "I'm reading it in German, Flora. Tristan wouldn't understand what the story was about if I read it to him in English."

Flora raised a skeptical eyebrow, plainly not convinced that he was reading the story at all. "If you say so, Uncle Alby." She said finally, shifting around to get more comfortable in Gellert's lap. Content to look at the pictures, Flora decided that she would simply have to tell herself the story since her silly uncle was saying it funny. This was one of her favorites after all.

Tristan, meanwhile, goggled at the girl who had dared to sit herself down in his brother's lap. He'd never before seen such reckless bravery. It was mind boggling to him.

Going back to reading the story Albus smiled when at the end Flora felt the need to explain to Gellert that the story was all about a princess who had almost gotten stuck with a prince who was as stupid as his fashion sense.

"You think a paper bag is a better fashion statement?" Gellert inquired dryly, pointing out that in the last picture the princess wasn't any better dressed than the prince.

"A real princess can make even a paper bag look pretty." Was the little girl's pert, all knowing response. "And the princess wasn't stupid like the girlie prince."

From across the room Christopher smiled at her comment, the smile widening when Albus began to read the next story, which was 'Mortimer, Be Quiet'. That had always been one of his favorites as a boy. His Muggle grandmother had read stories by Robert Munsch to him often.

Turning his head when Domi muttered under her breath in French Christopher watched her struggle to get one of the many braids in Anya's hair just right. A thought occurring to him Christopher wrote a quick message on his notepad before holding it up for Domi's viewing.

'Your sister talks with a heavy French accent and you talk with one occasionally. Why is that if you both grew up in Britain?'

Domi smiled at him when she finished reading the note. "My sister started mimicking our mother's accent when she was little. Tori always had a crush on Teddy and when she heard him tell our mother that he loved the way she talked, well Tori decided that he'd like her more if she talked the same way. It got to be a habit for both of us, talking like her. We wanted to be just like her after all." And now a decidedly feline smile crossed her lips. "That and we both learned early on that males are a lot easier to manipulate if you talk to them in a throaty French accent."

Scorpius snorted at her answer.

Domi gave him a dark look. "I wouldn't snort if I were you, Malfoy. Unlike you she gets laid on a regular basis and I have a boyfriend."

"Shut up, Weasley."

Biting down on his lip to keep himself from grinning Al decided that it was wise not to comment. After all, he'd always been a sucker for a sexy French accent too. Provided that it was a sexy Frenchman doing the talking, he mentally amended. Though his favorite voice would always be Scorpius's, unfortunately.

"I do like your accent.' Christopher wrote on his pad, earning a kiss from his girl in appreciation.

"She kissed you, Christopher!" Anya announced in surprise, not sure what to make of that. Her Christopher was a werewolf after all. Not that he would ever hurt anyone, but girls weren't supposed to kiss werewolves.

"I like to kiss him." Domi explained with a wink in the girl's direction, guessing what had surprised the little girl.

Anya considered this carefully. "But you don't kiss Gellert, right?"

Domi slid a bead onto the end of the girl's latest braid, reading Christopher's explanation of the girl's question before answering. "I leave that to Albus."

"Well that's okay then."

)

An hour later Victoire returned to find the children at play and not at all eager to be interrupted by her. They didn't need to understand each other's words to match up Flora's flashcards and there was a serious competition going on. They were playing for the chocolate chip cookies Flora had brought with her and apparently Tristan was getting to eat a lot more of them than the girls were. The girls were not liking that one little bit and explained to Victoire in English and in German that they had to keep playing until they'd decimated Tristan's winning streak.

Since she wasn't in a hurry Victoire opted to let them play a little longer and went over to her sister to have a catch up on their gossiping, leaving the men to supervise the competing children.

When Anya's mother came back from her researching she was dismissed in favor of the flashcards as well, much to her amusement. But Tristan and Anya didn't get a lot of opportunities to play with other children and she didn't have anywhere she had to be.

Taking advantage of this Victoire and Domi convinced the woman to let them play with her hair as well, both women thinking that the woman's hair was horribly outdated and too mommish for words. And since saying no to a Weasley/Delacour was as pointless as telling a bull not to break anything in a china shop Katara soon found herself getting a makeover while a growing crowd of female students watched and asked for tips and suggestions for their own looks.

Watching the women out of the corner of his eye Scorpius was very, very grateful that the women were all congregating on the other side of the room. "How do they understand each other, talking over each other the way they do? And how do they not find it incredibly annoying?"

"Women are multi taskers." Was Albus's reply as he shuffled the deck of cards he'd retrieved from Flora's bag so that the men could play a card game of their own.

"People who say that women are a whole other species get no argument from me." Stretching his arms over his head, Al grinned at Scorpius. "You think they're bad now, try living with a teenage one twenty four seven. Lily came very close to driving me to drink this summer. She wouldn't stop talking about boys, and normally I like that topic."

Albus's lips twitched into a grin. "Though your discussion on whether Orlando Bloom looked better as a blonde or brunette was thought provoking. Lily had some excellent points."

Al rolled his eyes expressively. As far as he was concerned Bloom's early role as Legolas in 'Lord of the Rings' said it all. The man had taken hotness to a whole new level as a blonde elf.

Christopher signed to Gellert that the man under discussion was a Muggle actor, knowing that the other man would have no idea who Orlando Bloom was.

"Actors." Gellert sneered, giving Albus's a censoring look. "Why on earth would you admire a man who couldn't even get a real job?"

"And just what real job are you going to have when you get out of here?" Al wanted to know as he rearranged the cards Albus had dealt him.

Gellert raised his eyebrow at the question. "I don't need a job. I already have enough money to live off of. And if I needed more I wouldn't have to get a job to get it. Making money is not a difficult thing for someone of my intelligence and resources."

"Now that's ominous sounding." Was Albus's dry response as he looked at Gellert over his cards.

"You think everything I say is ominous sounding." Gellert shot back with a knowing look in his eyes. "And you should be glad I don't have a particular job I want to do. That way I can easily adapt my life plans to fit in with yours."

"And I repeat, that's ominous sounding." Albus replied as he threw down his first card.

But no one was fooled; they hadn't missed the pleased look that had come into Albus's eyes at Gellert's words.

)

Everyone busy with their various activities, they were all surprised when Andromeda came into the main room with ground eating strides an hour later. The older woman's eyes scanned the room, her body visibly relaxing as she spotted Flora and Victoire.

"GG!" Delighted at the unexpected arrival of her great grandmother, Flora abandoned her game and rushed over and into Andromeda's arms.

Victoire stared at the woman in confusion as she paused in her hair styling, understanding dawning as she sensed the woman's turbulent, concealed emotions. Quickly she checked the time on a nearby grandfather clock, wincing when she saw what the time was. And now that she thought about it she'd never turned her phone back on after the interview. Damn, she had no doubt that Andromeda had tried to call her a few times after they'd failed to return at the promised time. Excusing herself, Victoire hurried over to her husband's grandmother to apologize for worrying her.

Watching the whole thing from the sidelines Gellert gave Albus a questioning look, intrigued by the underlying currents between the two women. From the sounds of it the girls had only overstayed by a half an hour, yet from the apologetic look in Victoire's eyes you'd think she'd been missing for hours.

Albus just shook his head at Gellert's silent question. The truth was that Andromeda had lost far too many people in her life and she didn't do well if she didn't know where her loved ones were at all times. Teddy had set up a schedule board at the Tonks residence where they all recorded where they were going to be at any given time. They were to phone Andromeda if something changed. The board gave Andromeda peace of mind when they weren't within her sight and protection.

Feeling stupid, which she always did when she irrationally freaked out over the unexplained absence of a family member, Andromeda worked up a smile for Victoire. There were far worse crimes that the girl could commit after all, then forgetting to humor her weak phobia. "You go ahead and finish that girl's hair, Victoire. You know you do better with hair than Dominique."

Knowing better than to push the matter, Victoire nodded. "I should be done in twenty minutes."

Nodding her acceptance Andromeda sent Flora off to play with the other children again before walking over to take a seat beside Albus, nodding her head in Gellert's direction. "You two are well, I trust?"

"I can't complain." Was Albus answer, knowing better than to mention her reasons for coming.

"I'm not ill." Was Gellert's.

Picking up on the undercurrents between the two men Andromeda studied them both with concealed interest. She was acquainted with their turbulent relationship; she saw or heard about all the letters Albus and Al wrote home. There was definitely chemistry between the men, she could see it. Why they weren't together was the million dollar question as her husband would have said. And since she didn't want to think about herself and her own hang ups Andromeda decided to focus on theirs instead.

And being a Slytherin, Andromeda saw no reason to pussyfoot around the question. "So I understand you two aren't dating but should be. Why is that?"

While Albus went red, Gellert gave the woman a small smile, appreciating her lack of social correctness. He was a 'straight to the point' sort of man as well. "He thinks I'm too Slytherin in nature." Gellert informed her, figuring she would understand what he meant.

Andromeda smirked a little in Albus's direction. "Funny, I would have thought you were man enough to handle one of my kind, Albus."

"Gryffindors and Slytherins don't get along." Was Albus's weak, wry response.

"Well that's true." Andromeda's eyes shifted over to look in the direction of Al and Scorpius before going back to the two men seated near her. "Exactly what Slytherin qualities do you possess, Mr. Stalanski, that Albus would find so troublesome?"

"A lack of conscience for one." Was Gellert's candid, offhanded response. "I live by my own code, one that Albus feels lacks a number of essential entries."

Andromeda's lips twitched. "A very Slytherin trait, that." Her husband had felt the same way about her once upon a time. Of course he'd loved her enough to ignore the fact that her morals were a lot looser than his in certain areas. And since she had some experience with the complaint Andromeda gave Albus the same answer she'd always given her Ted at such times. "If you think he needs to improve in that area, don't you think you're the ideal candidate to reform him, Albus? You've always had a particularly well developed moral code. One you've never had a problem expressing."

"More like over developed." Gellert muttered under his breath.

Albus shot a dark look in the blonde's direction. "That's easier said than done."

Understanding what was going on in the redhead's mind Andromeda had a ready reply that she hoped would make the man really think about the situation. "You're both still in school, Albus. Barring some unexpected accident you're both likely to live to see a hundred. That should be plenty of time to mellow him out. Of course it will take time and effort, converting a wizard with…dark tendencies does take quite a while. It's certainly not something you can do in say…a summer."

Gellert's eyes sharpened then, Albus too absorbed in thinking over her words to realize the significance of her last words.

"No offense to you, Andromeda, but you're still very much a Slytherin at heart." Albus pointed out dryly, having known her for a very, very long time.

"But I haven't killed anyone in decades."

Albus had to laugh at that, his laughter dying as he belatedly realized the significance of what she'd suggested earlier. That someone with dark tendencies couldn't be changed in the course of a summer.

The same amount of time that he and Gellert had had together so long ago.

Andromeda's words made Albus realize something that he'd never stopped to seriously consider before. Andromeda had grown up in a family full of dark wizards. She was, to an extent, still a very dark witch. He didn't doubt for a minute that she wasn't fully capable or torturing and killing someone if need be. She had blood on her hands and they both knew it. Ted Tonks had certainly mellowed her, but he had not removed her claws by any means. It was a stupid man who assumed that she hadn't been put in Slytherin for good reason.

Gellert had grown up in a family even darker than the Blacks. He'd been taught from birth, as Andromeda had, to behave and think in certain ways. Like Andromeda, Gellert had been surrounded by people who were as dark as he was all his life. He had had only that one summer with Gellert to try and teach the man to see things a different way, and he hadn't done a very good job of that, falling in with the man's plans for the enslavement of Muggles. He'd tried to alter the darkest aspects of the man's plans, but he'd certainly not been the voice of reason he should have been. Three months to undo over sixteen years of brainwashing on the part of those Gellert had been raised by. And after that summer Gellert had ended up with his earlier crowd, who'd all thought as he did.

Could he blame Gellert for not changing his entire belief system any earlier than he had?

And wasn't Andromeda Black Tonks living proof that love really could make someone born of darkness see the light?

If she could alter her behavior enough to live in Ted Tonks world then why couldn't Gellert alter his enough to be able to live in his world, Albus reasoned.

Why couldn't he alter his own behavior to make living with Gellert possible?

Why couldn't they alter each other until they could fit together like the ying and yang Al was always comparing them to?

Having an inkling of what could be going through Albus's mind Gellert would have kissed Andromeda if he were the affectionate type. But since he wasn't, he gave the woman another small smile. "So you believe that people can change even their basic nature if given reason to?"

"I believe that anyone can change if they truly want to." Andromeda met Gellert's gaze with knowing black eyes. "That's the key."

Gellert's eyes shifted over to meet Albus's. "I agree, one hundred percent."


	29. Listen To Your Heart

Listen To Your Heart

Whatever else Andromeda, Gellert and Albus might have said to each other was interrupted by Flora, who came over to tug on Albus's arm insistently. "Uncle Alby, I gots to talk to you right now." She announced, her voice making it clear that she was the boss and she expected to be obeyed without question.

Exchanging amused looks with the other two Albus rose and took Flora's offered hand, letting the girl lead his off to a corner where they were all by themselves. When she tugged on his arm again Albus took the hint and crouched down so that he was closer to her height. "To what do I owe the secret meeting?" Albus inquired with an amused grin.

"What's wrong, Uncle Alby?" Flora demanded to know earnestly, concern on her little face. "You got the lines on your forehead." She added, reaching up to touch the spot on Albus's forehead that had been wrinkled earlier. "It gets like that when you're making your head hurt. Did Gellert do something mean to you? Do I have to bite him for you?"

His gaze softening as he chuckled Albus took her hand in his and brought it to his lips. "I'm okay, sweetie. And Gellert didn't do anything you need to bite him for. My head and heart are just having an argument at the moment. They'll come to an agreement eventually."

Flora's face took on a thoughtful expression. "You should just listen to your heart, Uncle Alby."

Albus's gaze took on a rueful look. "Even though my head is saying that my heart is being a stupid, naïve fool?"

The little girl frowned, not sure what was going on exactly. And since she was smart enough to know that trying to question him about grown up stuff wouldn't work, she decided to give him the best advice she could think of. "What would you tell somebody, if they asked you if they should listen to their heart or head?"

"I'd tell them to listen to their heart." Albus answered softly, shaking his head as he stared at her. Out of the mouth of babes, Albus thought as he realized the truth of her words. He'd always told everyone how important love was and to trust it, and here he was not taking his own advice. "You know something, Flora, you're right. You really do know everything, don't you?"

Flora's smile turned smug. "Of course I do."

Albus leaned in to kiss the girl's cheek as he chuckled again. "Of course you do."

"And remember, Uncle Alby, if you start to feel sad, just sing about your favorite things." Flora reminded him with a giggle of her own.

"Like cream colored ponies and crisp apple strudel?" He asked.

"And doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles…Uncle Alby, what's schnitzel again?"

"Ask your GG. She could probably make some for you. I'm sure you'll like it." Albus advised with a wink. Like Teddy, Flora tended to be a bottomless pit when it came to food.

"Flora, it's time to go now."

"Okay, Mama." Flora gave a dramatic sigh as she turned her attention back to Albus, sad to have to leave their sing along. "I gots to go now, Uncle Alby."

"Sad but true."

Going up on tip toes Flora gave her uncle a smacking kiss on the lips. "Love you muchly, Uncle Alby."

Albus returned the gesture with a grin. "Love you muchly too."

With a smile Flora took off to say good bye to everyone else, giving Al, Scorpius and Domi smacking kisses and 'love you muchlies' too. She also surprised the heck out of Christopher and Gellert by insisting on giving them smacking kisses and 'like you muchlies' as well.

Watching all this Anya wasn't about to be shown up, so she insisted on giving everyone kisses too, though she just said good bye to all of them since she wasn't even a hundred percent sure what Flora had said to them. Still, she was very pleased with her daring, and grinned proudly at her mother. Gellert had even kissed her back.

Tristan didn't know what to make of all the kissing happening and chose to hide slightly behind Anya's mother. But Flora spotted him and hurried over to shock the boy with a kiss to his cheek.

"Bye, Tristan. I'll beat you at flash cards next time. And when my birthday comes you'll have to come and we can play dress up together, okay?"

Blushing bright red Tristan nodded despite the fact that he had no idea what she'd just said.

Chuckling at the look on the boy's face Al lightly elbowed Gellert in the side as they both watched the two children, his tone teasing. "Well isn't your brother the ladies man."

"He has no idea what he's getting into."

)

To earn brownie points with Albus Gellert made a point of saying good bye to not just his aunt but Anya and Tristan as well, even patting the two children on the head for good measure. When he looked over at Albus to see how his actions were being received Gellert was less than pleased to see that Albus wasn't even looking in his direction. In fact, judging from the expression the redhead was wearing, the other man was miles away mentally. Still thinking about what Andromeda Tonks had said to them perhaps?

Eventually all the guests left, the adults shepherding the children from the castle with the help of their various relatives.

Once he'd done his duty and seen them off Gellert turned his attention to Albus, who had already turned to head back to their common room. Walking over Gellert dragged his fingers down the other man's arm, silently inquiring as to whether or not the man would slow down and let the others go on ahead so that they could walk back together without the added audience.

Slowing down to do just that Albus motioned the others on ahead, hanging back at Gellert's side until the others were out of sight. Turning his head Albus looked down at the blonde questioningly. "Hmm?"

"You seem a million miles away. What's on your mind?"

Albus shrugged with a little smile on his face. "I was thinking about my favorite things." When Gellert raised a questioning eyebrow Albus elaborated. "It's from a famous Muggle film, a song sung to the children during a thunder storm to get them thinking about the good things in life to distract them from the storm."

"And you're thinking about the song because…?"

"Because it's important to remember the good things in life. And it's a very, very catchy song." Albus added with a grin as he linked his fingers through Gellert's.

"You'll have to sing it for me sometime." As of yet Albus had refused to sing anything for him, Gellert thought with a twinge of annoyance. He disliked the fact that even Malfoy had heard the man sing. Stepping onto the first step leading up to their floor Gellert stopped when Albus didn't follow, their linked hands preventing him from going forward without letting go of the hand he was determined to hold onto.

He'd been trying to figure out how to tell Gellert that he was done playing at having a split personality where their relationship was concerned, alternating between holding the man close and pushing him away. It wasn't fair to either of them, especially since it had always been inadvertable, their future together. It was time to man up and face the music, Albus thought as he stared into Gellert's brown eyes.

And with that in mind Albus decided to turn to music to say what he needed to say, knowing how important it was to say it right. And at the moment he didn't have a lot of confidence in his ability to say the right thing. But thanks to having a playlist devoted to Gellert, Albus knew plenty of songs that would fit and one that fit perfectly.

Keeping the step between them since it put them closer in height Albus leaned forward, placing his lips against Gellert's ear. "You want to hear me sing?"

Surprised, Gellert went still as he absorbed the feel of Albus's closeness, sensing the change in the redhead's demeanor and mood. "You'll sing for me?"

"I'll sing this for you." He hated singing to anyone over the age of ten, especially when he was sober, but Albus was no stranger to doing what he had to do for love. And he owed Gellert this at the very least. And so he softly began to sing in the blonde's ear, his voice smooth and husky as he sang the words to Jordin Spark's version of 'Don't Let It Go To Your Head'.

"So what if I came clean  
And told you all you mean to me  
So what if I meant every word I said  
Baby, don't let it go to your head

So what if I write your name  
'Cause you're always on my brain  
In a heart I paint it crimson red  
Baby, don't let it go to your head

Don't be getting any big ideas  
Let me make it clear

Just 'cause I can't go on  
Just 'cause I die when you're gone  
And just 'cause I think of you in bed  
Don't let it go to your head

If I looked in your eyes  
One, two, too many times  
And memorized every word you said  
Don't let it go to your head, oh  
Don't let it go to your head, oh"

And here Albus pulled back so that he could look into Gellert's eyes, wanting that connection as he continued to sing from the heart.

"So what if I want to kiss  
From your toes up to your lips?  
It don't mean that you've had me yet  
You're gonna be good, I bet

I'm the one who's in control here  
Let me make it clear

Just 'cause I can't go on  
Just 'cause I die when you're gone  
And just 'cause I think of you in bed  
Don't let it go to your head

If I looked in your eyes  
One, two, too many times  
Memorized every word you said  
Don't let it go to your head, don't let it go to your head  
Don't let it go to your head

Now you think you've got me  
Well, I'm gonna get you  
Now you think you can touch me  
Well, I'm gonna let you-."

Leaning in Gellert wrapped one arm around Albus's waist and raised his other hand to cup the back of Albus's head, cutting off the rest of the song as he crushed his lips against Albus's, understanding what the man was telling him.

Albus wrapped his own arms around the blonde's waist, kissing him back with equal passion and desire as he slid his hands under the man's jumper, stroking his fingers against the man's bare back. That they were standing out in a hallway and could be seen by anyone didn't matter to either of them. In Albus's mind it had been secrecy that had played such a destructive role in their last relationship. This time everyone would know that they were together, Albus decided as he tightened his grip on Gellert's waist. Everyone would know that they were a couple, a unit that would not be broken again. The fates had linked them whether they liked it or not and they would have to find a way to make it work.

It was the only way either of them would ever be happy.

)

After some serious making out the two reluctantly drew apart, well aware of the fact that they were perilously close to putting on an X rated show for anyone who might happen to pass their way. Breathing hard as they straightened their clothes and each other's, the two grinned as they stared in the other's eyes, Albus with open delight while Gellert's was leaning more towards sly pleasure.

Returning his arms to Gellert's waist Albus nuzzled the side of his face against Gellert's. "I don't suppose this castle has something like Hogwart's Room of Requirement?" After all, there was nothing keeping them from getting up close and personal now. And making love with Gellert had always been one of the guaranteed perks of being with the blonde in the first place.

Seeing where Albus was going with that question Gellert wasn't surprised to find it an effort to keep blood in his head as he imagined and remembered. Unfortunately his school didn't have anything resembling the infamous Hogwarts room for their use. And he had no intention of making love to Albus while their roommates were in their bedroom. Talk about a serious turn off, not to mention tacky.

Guessing the answer before Gellert shook his head Albus sighed, resigned to having to wait until the next weekend rolled in. "We can get a room at a hotel for the weekend." He murmured in Gellert's ear, kissing the sensitive skin there. "No interruptions but room service."

Romance wasn't remotely his area of expertise, but Gellert's upper class breeding kicked in with a vengeance. "We are not going to a hotel like cheating spouses. We'll go home to my place. I want you in my bed." Moving back Gellert recaptured Albus's lips to demonstrate just how much he wanted the other man naked and in his bed. Just thinking about it had him groaning low in his throat with need.

Breaking off the kiss Albus's cheeks were flushed with passion and embarrassment. "Your parents and brother would be there! And I want them to like me. What would they think of me if we just showed up there to…to…to go to bed together."

The idea had taken root and he wasn't going to let Albus talk him out of it. "I'll kick them out of the manor then."

Albus gaped at the other man. "You can't kick them out of their own house."

Gellert didn't see why he couldn't. "Why not? They've kicked Tristan and I out for the night for their anniversaries and Valentines' Day."

He had to laugh as he shook his head at Gellert. "But it's their house, Gellert. They're allowed to kick their children out so that they can have romantic evenings alone together."

"Just leave it to me." Gellert announced, and silenced the rest of Albus's objections with more kisses. He'd find a way after all, he always did.

)

As they headed back for their common room Scorpius was amused at Al constantly turning to look over his shoulder, trying to catch a glimpse of Gellert and Wimbledon no doubt. "If you keep looking over your shoulder like that you're going to walk into a wall or a piece of armor, Al." Scorpius pointed out as he kept an eye out for things either of them could accidentally run into.

"You'd pull me out of the way if I were about to hit something." Was Al's knowing answer as he turned his attention to where he was going, just in case. "And hey, sorry you didn't get a chance to pick a fight with Victoire. Hope you're not too disappointed."

Scorpius shrugged it off. "I'll fight with her later."

"I don't get why you like fighting with her so much when she always wins." Domi pointed out smugly from in front of them, her head rested comfortably on Christopher's shoulder, her arm through his.

"You two only think she wins." Scorpius shot back.

Well used to arguing with the idiot Slytherin about his arguments with her sister, Domi just smirked at him. "And being a Malfoy, Scorpius, you mentally block out how many times you've gotten your arse handed to you by us."

"Leave his arse out of it, Domi." He was very fond of that arse, Al thought as he fought the urge to pat it. "And they both get their licks in, just admit it and move on." And that was so the wrong word to use, Al thought as he raised his eyes heavenward. Especially with all the mushy emotions floating around.

Domi gave her cousin a look that suggested she knew where his mind had gone with his comments and was amused by it. "Well I say my sister kicks Scorpius's tight butt and Christopher, as my boyfriend, agrees with me. That's two against one since Al's vote doesn't count."

A considering look coming onto his face Christopher withdrew his notepad and a pen from his pocket and wrote out a quick message, showing it to her with a questioning look on his face. This was definitely not his area of expertise after all. 'That's the second time you've called me your boyfriend. I'm your boyfriend?'

Domi grinned and rolled her eyes expressively, not really all that surprised to learn he was still in the dark there. "Of course you are. I decided that a long time ago, Silly." And turning Domi wrapped her arms around his neck and drew him down for some serious snogging, ignoring the gagging sounds her cousin and Malfoy made.

"It must be something in the air." Al joked as he grabbed Scorpius's arm and led them both away from the sight of the couple in passionate embrace. "I'd bet you ten galleons Gellert and Albus are doing the same."

"Just so long as they aren't doing it in our room."


	30. Importance of Words

Importance of Words

"So what exactly happened between you and Gellert last night?" Al wanted to know as they walked through the aisles of books. It was cool watching the newer book titles change to English as they passed, though it was an older one they were looking for which was why Albus was reading the spines for them. "I've never seen the guy so close to grinning like an idiot before."

Albus smiled a little at the description of the half smile Gellert had been wearing all day. "I told him that we were a couple and that I wasn't going to say no if he were to plan a getaway for two this coming weekend."

"So he knows he's going to get laid shortly." Lips twitching in amusement Al chuckled. "That would put a smile on anyone's face."

The redhead had to chuckle back. "It's certainly put a smile on mine."

That it had. But there was something about Albus's demeanor that made Al think he was missing something. "Did you tell him that you still love him?"

Albus shook his head as he moved on to the next row of books. "No. And I'm not going to. I said those words to him before and then did things that to him proved my words to be false. And he gave me those words back all those years ago because they were what he thought I needed to hear. This time around I'm not going to say the words unless he does." Albus shrugged his shoulders ruefully. "He doesn't understand love, Al, not the way you and I do. He doesn't trust it. I'll love him without words, and hope that he'll do the same. For now I'm just making it clear to him that I want and desire him. Those emotions he understands."

"You know you won't be able to hold those words in forever, Albus." Al pointed out. "It's not in your nature to hold them in, especially when you feel them as strongly as you do for him."

"I've had practice."

He couldn't argue with that. "So what exactly did you say to him?"

"I used the standard guy cop out of romantic music and the promise of sex."

"A classic for a reason." Al agreed, shaking his shaggy head ruefully. "Getting men out of having to say the L word since time began."

Albus had to laugh as he nodded his head in agreement. "I imagine he'll use similar ploys with me. I'm actually looking forward to finding out what he'll use as his cop out. I'm hoping he's more original than straight bribery."

"Want me to give him some tips?" Al offered with a grin.

"No." It was Albus's turn to shake his head. "This time we need to muddle through things at our own speed and in good time. Unless he asks for your advice, than you can help him a little." That would earn Gellert bonus points too since he knew just how much Gellert hated to ask anyone for advice about anything.

"Understood."

)

Domi and Christopher were doing homework together at their floor's common room when Gellert walked in on the way to drop off his morning textbooks. Pausing, Gellert walked over and waited until Christopher looked in his direction before signing his question. 'Which is the better idea, asking my aunt to get my parents and Tristan out of the house this weekend as a return favor for babysitting Anya, or appealing to my father for help, man to man?'

Christopher raised an eyebrow. 'Why do you need them out of the house?'

'Albus won't have sex with me in my room if the rest of my family is home at the time.'

Lips twitching, the werewolf would have laughed if he were able. 'I see. I'd go with your father then, unless you think he'd have a problem with the fact that it's a guy you're bringing home.'

"You two do know it's rude to deliberately exclude someone from a conversation." Domi informed them, looking up from her parchment to give Gellert a dark look. "And making me not like you is not something you want to have happen, Gellert, FYI."

"FYI?" Gellert repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"For Your Information." Domi explained with a smirk. "So what are you two talking about? Or don't I want to know?"

"The first part no, but I do have a question for you, since you're here. What kind of music does Albus prefer best for relaxing? Wizard or Muggle music, doesn't matter. I can get Tommy to get his hands on either." He might not know a lot about actually working to seduce someone, but Gellert did know that music was pretty standard, not to mention something Albus loved a great deal apparently.

"Are we talking relaxing music or let's get naked together with all due haste music?"

Both men gave Domi strange looks.

"What? There is a difference, you know. Big difference." Rolling her eyes at them Domi felt sorry for her and Albus. They were going to have to spend at least a decade training their men in the ways of romance, she just knew it. Shaking her head at them Domi began their first lesson. "Music is very important. That's why in Muggle movies or plays they use it so much to create proper mood and atmosphere. Mood can be everything depending on the situation. Especially when it comes to the speed, instruments and lyrics. Most especially the lyrics. There are way too many songs out there that sound great until you actually listen to what the person is singing about."

"Fine then, what would you recommend for a romantic mood?" Gellert asked, hating that he even had to say the word romantic. But saying music to have sex too wouldn't go over well, especially if Albus heard about it later.

"Depends. Are you still deluding yourself into think you're not in love with him?" She asked, raising a knowing eyebrow when he gave her a cold look. "Like I said, music lyrics mean something, especially to someone like my Alby. You wouldn't want any one that talks about love unless you want him thinking you might mean it."

Considering her advice Gellert paused in his response, suddenly remembering the song that Albus had sung part of to him the night before. Thanks to his perfect memory Gellert remembered all the words and noted with interest that not once had love been mentioned. Insinuated in a roundabout way, but not expressly spoken. In fact, it was only now occurring to him that while Albus had made it clear that their relationship was going to finally become physical, the redhead hadn't mentioned anything about love. Love and sex had always gone hand in hand with Albus in the past. The first time the other man had told him that he loved him had been after their first night together.

Was Albus waiting until their new first night together to say it?

Because he would say it, wouldn't he?

"If it were anyone other than you I'd warn you of the dangers of thinking about something too hard." Domi commented, knowing better than to quiz him about what he was thinking about. Gellert was the most closed in individual she'd ever met. She didn't think it was an exaggeration to say only Albus had the patience to crack this nut.

Putting the thoughts aside until later Gellert gave the girl a questioning look. "Just give me a list of choices. I'll have Tommy get them, and then I'll screen them for myself, all right?"

Domi's lips twitched as she nodded, willing to help him since it was for her Alby too. "I'll have that list for you tonight so that your elf has got plenty of time to get them for you. You've only got five days after all."

"Does he tell you and Al everything?" Gellert demanded to know.

"I'm looking forward to the all the details next Monday." Was her saucy response.

)

Albus smiled up at Gellert when the man took the seat beside him, shifting his seat over a little to make more room for the other man. He'd been wondering where the man was, class was about to begin after all. Not that their teacher would have been upset if Gellert hadn't shown up, Albus thought with a knowing smile. It was pretty obvious that the teacher was damn tired of having Gellert correct him all the time. The teacher wasn't very fond of him either for the same reason. But he couldn't help it, the man was certainly not the most suited for the role of educator. As a former teacher it was bred into him to correct false assumptions, Albus thought somewhat guiltily.

On cue the teacher began to speak at the front of the class, his voice as dry and boring as Professor Binns back at Hogwarts. And that was saying something. Feeling homesick at the thought of his school, Albus pictured his beloved classrooms and hallways, the scents and sounds of Hogwarts. How he missed it. It had been his true home in his previous life, and a second one in his present one.

His leg bumped gently under the table, Albus turned his head to look at Gellert questioningly. When the blonde simply looked down at the desk Albus spotted the piece of parchment that had appeared there while he wasn't looking. Reaching out Albus shifted the paper closer to him so that he could read what was written there.

'Do you really intend to give Domi a rundown of what we'll be doing this weekend? She seems to be under the impression that you will be.'

Lips curving into a small smile Albus had no doubt that Domi expected exactly that and would nag him near to death if he refused to do so. Picking up his own quill Albus dipped it in his ink and scrawled out a quick message in return. 'I'll try not to embarrass you too much.'

Raising an eyebrow as the return message was shifted over to him Gellert didn't quite know how to take that. Did it mean that Albus thought the experience wouldn't be worth much bragging, or was his man insinuating that he was aware that he wouldn't appreciate his performance being evaluated and therefore intended to be skimpy on the details for his sake. It couldn't be the first, Albus knew how good he was in bed, Gellert reminded himself. But what if someone Albus had slept with after they'd parted ways had been better?

There was nothing Gellert hated more than being bested at something.

That it involved Albus made it intolerable.

Which had him scrawling 'What do you mean by that?' on the parchment next.

Looking over the words written Albus had to bite down hard on his lower lip at the look in his former lover's eyes when he glanced in the man's direction. Being brilliant, Albus figured out exactly why the blonde was looking for clarification.

Blue eyes dancing with merriment Albus thought for a moment before writing out his reply. 'I mean that while any number of things about me have changed over the decades, one thing that hasn't is my feeling that what happens in the bedroom should stay in the bedroom as much as possible'.

The man hadn't really answered his question, deliberately from the gleam of amusement in the other man's eyes. Deciding to get some of his own back Gellert hid a grin of his own as he dipped his quill in ink and shot off a quick response to shove in Albus's direction.

'So you only do bedrooms now? Pity, I have fond memories of taking you on that hillside when we went out 'stargazing'.'

Reading the message Albus could feel his cheeks heating up as he recalled those nights. Recalled them very fondly in fact. He'd felt truly free then, like it was only the two of them in the world as they lay in each other's arms. The summer night air had been quite the aphrodisiac. In fact, those memories had gotten him through decades of celibacy.

Albus didn't have to think about his response, scrawling it out quickly for the other man to read. He was blushing while he did it, but he was determined.

'We're not hiding our relationship this time around. I intend to make use of any number of venues to get you naked.'

Gellert didn't have to think hard about his response either. 'I'm glad to hear it. I had decades to imagine new ways to be with you if I ever got the chance.'

The two men sharing a hot look, they were both too wise and aware not to feel a new set of eyes on them. Turning their heads neither was terribly surprised to see their teacher standing nearby, obviously aware of the fact that he hadn't had either student's attention for his lecture thus far. Albus's face became apologetic, while Gellert just gave the teacher a look that indicated he didn't appreciate the interruption.

"And what's so important, that you two can afford to ignore my lecture?" The teacher wanted to know, not betraying for a moment that all three of them knew that they didn't need to hear his lecture to know everything he was talking about. Snatching the sheet of paper before either man thought to stop him the teacher studied the paper, eyebrows furrowing as he stared at the scrawled words. "Are you two writing messages to each other in Leprechaun?"

Had they been, Albus wondered as he glanced at the sheet. He'd just read the message and answered in kind without thinking. Huh.

"We were." Gellert answered, surprised that the teacher had actually recognized what language they'd been using. Perhaps the man wasn't as dumb as he'd thought him to be. He was still an incompetent teacher though. He stood by that.

This of course meant that even if he demanded that one of the boys read the note the student could just make up a conversation, their professor thought in annoyance. As far as he knew none of his fellow teachers read the ancient language except for the Headmaster, who probably wouldn't be at all inclined to read the piece of parchment, especially if it was flirty or sexual in nature. He could probably find a book to help him translate, but that would mean wasting his own time to do it.

So the teacher simply crumpled up the note in his hand, giving them both hard looks. "So you both think that you don't need to hear my lecture today, hmm? Well in that case why don't you both pack up your things and leave? Perhaps next class I'll be teaching something you two feel is worthy of your attention."

Albus blinked in shock. "You're…you're kicking us out of class?" The idea was inconceivable to him.

"Yes, Mr. Wimbledon, I am."

Having been kicked out of classrooms plenty of times Gellert packed away his things without arguing and then packed away Albus's as well since the redhead seemed to have gone into a state of shock over their dismissal. Slinging both their school bags over his shoulder Gellert got a good grip on Albus's shoulder and herded the man out of the room, ignoring the curious looks they were getting. Once they were outside the classroom Gellert dragged Albus off to a corner and then turned the man to face him.

"Albus? Are you alright?"

"I got thrown out of class." The redhead said numbly, not even really seeing Gellert as his brain tried to process the impossible. "I got THROWN out of class."

"Yes we did." Gellert agreed with a nod. "But it's no big deal, Albus. He's thrown me out of his class plenty. It's not like we're missing anything."

Albus felt like his whole world had just shifted on its axis. "In both my lives I never got even one detention. I was Prefect, Head Boy, I got perfect grades. Best in year without fail. I was ALWAYS the teachers' pet. I was never late and I NEVER got thrown out of class. I always had a perfect attendance record."

"I'm well aware that you've always been a goody two shoes, Albus."

"Goody two shoes don't get kicked out of class." Albus returned hotly, annoyed that Gellert didn't seem to get the severity of the situation.

"But we're not in trouble and you won't get a black mark, Albus." Sensing that that was what upset the redhead the most Gellert did his best to hide his amusement over the other man's over the top reaction. "The teacher won't go to my grandfather about this and even if he did we wouldn't end up in detention. My grandfather is very much the 'go forth and sin no more' kind of disciplinary. I mean look how he keeps that drunk on as our school nurse just because he knows she wouldn't be able to get a job working elsewhere."

"It's the principle of the point, Gellert. We should be punished, we broke the rules."

Gellert couldn't help but roll his eyes. "Would you feel better if you were punished in some way for passing notes to me in class?"

Albus nodded decisively. "Yes."

"Fine then." Gellert moved in close, placing his lips against Albus's ear as he told the other man in explicit detail some of the things he was looking forward to doing to him when the weekend finally came.

When he was sure he'd painted quite the visual in the other man's head Gellert stepped back and grinned at the man knowingly. "And I can't do any of that until Saturday. How's that for punishment?"


	31. Coming Home

Coming Home

Sitting in his study Stephen Stalanski put down his book when he sensed another presence in the room. Looking down at the house elf Gellert's father raised a questioning brow, silently asking what the elf wanted.

"Master Gellert's owl just delivered this, Sir. It's addressed to you." The elf handed it over and bowed politely, leaving when her master gave her permission to go.

Staring down at the letter Gellert's father wasn't quite sure what to make of it. His son wrote a letter home once every two weeks like clockwork. They were always addressed to the family in general and his son's letters tended to be short, to the point, and sent only because their eldest was wise enough to know his mother would have his head if he didn't write to her regularly. For Gellert to deviate from his standard habits was most unusual. And slightly worrisome.

Opening the letter with some trepidation Gellert's father wondered what the boy wanted.

Father,

I request that you take Mother away this weekend and leave Tristan with Aunt Katara or someone equally capable of providing adequate childcare. I require use of the house this weekend and my guest has made it clear that it would be inappropriate for us to remain in my tower and ignore you all during our stay. You may take the cost of your plans out of my bank vault and give the house elf the weekend off. Please respond immediately so that I have adequate time to locate other accommodations so that a hotel will not be necessary.

Please don't inform Mother, she will refuse to leave without meeting my guest.

With Thanks,

Your Son

Mouth opening and closing Stephen was silent for a moment before beginning to laugh quite uncontrollably. In the almost seventeen years Gellert had been alive his son had made some very unusual requests of him, but this? The boy had been asking for access to poisonous ingredients and advanced spell books before he'd even reach the double digits, but in all of his life Stephen couldn't recall the boy ever asking for something so…well…typical of a teenage boy.

Finally!

And so with a shake of his head and a wide grin on his face Gellert's father sent off a quick reply to his son and then fought to keep a straight face as he went looking for his wife to tell her they would be going off on a surprise romantic weekend.

)

The school week went by in a blur for Albus thanks to his mind either being on what was to come that weekend or the shock of having his first academic black mark ever. He was willing to admit that it was probably the academic black mark, but he was a little embarrassed about how hard the black mark had hit him.

He really was too much of a goody two shoes, Albus thought as he repacked his overnight bag for the fifth time. And they were only going to be…wherever Gellert was taking him, for one night, Albus reminded himself sternly to keep himself from second guessing himself. But concentrating on something that mundane made him forget about being kicked out of class, so he had thus far embraced his new obsession with clothing with a smile.

Not that he was going to need the pajamas he was packing.

And thinking about that had Albus blushing like an idiot as he re-zipped the bag up for the last time. Slugging it over his shoulder Albus took a deep, calming breath and slid out from under the bunk bed.

Gellert's ego was huge enough without it being obvious to the blonde how eager he was to make love with him.

Across the bedroom Gellert straightened up, having been leaning against his own bunk bed while he waited for Albus to once again finish fiddling with something. It was actually rather endearing, how flustered the man still was since they'd been kicked out of class. Albus had been determined to do everything perfectly since then and it had been more than a little amusing to watch the man try to control every faucet of his week in some strange attempt to cancel out the earlier error. It made any number of things the man had done in his past life a lot more easy to comprehend too.

Thus far he hadn't made any attempt to curve the man's perfectionist behavior, but Gellert figured that if the man was still doing it he was going to have to step in and do something about it. Albus really needed to learn to relax a little before he gave himself ulcers.

It was no wonder the man's hair had gone prematurely white last time.

"Ready to go." Albus announced unnecessarily, doing his best not to fidget at the look that came into the blonde's eyes. Gellert was going to pounce on him like a Niffler on a coin first chance he got, Albus thought absently, color moving to stain his cheekbones.

And boy was he looking forward to that.

The blonde's smile was slow and seductive. "Then let's go, shall we?"

Gellert wasn't the least surprised to see Domi, Scorpius and Al loitering around the doors leading out of the school ten minutes later. They were pretending not to, but their reasons for being there were as obvious as the fact that Domi wanted one last chance to tease them and Al wanted to treat him like the bad boy his goody two shoes daughter had unexpected decided to date. Scorpius had been dragged into things as camouflage, and the man obviously just wanted them to go so that he could flee.

Gellert was all for them fleeing.

"Hey there, we thought you two had gone already." Domi chirped cheerfully, Al not bothering to justify his presence while Scorpius just scolded.

"On our way." Gellert informed them, linking his arms through Albus's so that he could keep the other man moving. They were not going to hang around so that Domi could have fun at their expense. As it was he only had two days and one night of Albus to himself. He wasn't going to waste any of it.

Albus gave Domi a warning look before shooting a look at Al, making it clear that he expected his best friend to help him keep her in line.

"Sure you got everything you need?" Domi asked, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

Unable to stop himself Albus mentally went over everything he'd packed. "Yes."

"Really? Because I'm pretty sure there's something you're going to-mmph." Domi twisted her head around to glare at Scorpius, who'd just slapped a hand over her mouth to muffle her last words.

"Run now before they really get going. They have plans." Scorpius advised, keeping his left hand over the girl's mouth and the other over Al's.

"Running. I owe you." Gellert acknowledged as he hustled Albus towards the door, the redhead protesting his dragging.

"Damn right you do." Scorpius muttered, yelping when Domi bit his hand. "Dammit, Woman!"

"Just be glad I'm not my boyfriend."

)

Gellert transported them to their destination as soon as they were far enough away from the school, the two arriving at the gates outside his house. The gates, recognizing him, opened for them without a sound. His family home was not as big or as elaborate as the Malfoy estate, but it was still impressive enough for those who cared about such things. He didn't think Albus was the sort to care, but he hoped the man would like it.

"This is your house, isn't it?" Albus asked, looking down at the other man.

"We have it to ourselves." Gellert assured him, seeing where the question was leading. "My parents are away for the weekend and Tristan is visiting our godmother. They won't be back until late Sunday night after we've already left. My father is the only one who knows I'm coming home for the weekend and he's so thrilled I'm interested in someone that he won't risk ruining things by telling my mother."

"It's beautiful." Albus said ruefully, shaking his head ruefully.

"It's aesthetically well built." Gellert agreed, trying to see the estate through Albus's eyes as they walked towards it. "The tower is all mine. I convinced my parents to let me have it after I started attending Durmstrang. No one else is allowed up there but Tommy. Not that they know about Tommy."

Albus gave Gellert a questioning look. "Why not?"

"They don't need to know about him. I suppose it would be somewhat helpful for my mother and godmother to know he'd be available whenever they needed a babysitter, but I prefer him to always be at my beck and call when I have need of him. Besides, he talks too much and they'd harass him constantly trying to figure me out."

"I can see how figuring you out would be a problem for most people." Albus agreed as they walked up the short steps, Gellert opening the door for them both. Stepping inside Albus looked around him, taking in the general feel of the place. "I like your home. It feels welcoming." There was a sense of old money and elegance, but that was overshadowed by the open, airy feel to things.

Tugging on Albus's arm Gellert led the man towards the main staircase, leading the way up to the second floor. Walking down the long hallway or trying to, Gellert was stopped multiple times to identify the various witches and wizards depicted in the portraits lining the walls. Some of the portraits wanted introductions as well, which held them up for a lot longer then Gellert would have liked.

But finally they made it to the end of the hallway, Gellert retrieving his wand to undo the various spells he casted upon his bedroom door to keep everyone out while he was away. Not that he thought his parents were the sort to invade his privacy, but he was the 'better safe than sorry' type. And Tristan was old enough now to attempt to climb his stairs, but would most likely break his neck doing it which was one of the excuses he used with his parents as to why it had to remain locked up in his absence.

"Just how many spells have you casted on that door?" Albus asked as he watched the man work, not surprised that Gellert had gone overboard. The man had always been intensely private and possessive about his things.

Gellert finished what he was doing before answering. "I have eight and Tommy has a few as well, though he took them off before he left for his weekend holiday." Retrieving the door's key from his pocket Gellert unlocked it, motioning for Albus to go ahead of him. "Mind the stairs, they're steep."

Using the railing Albus made his way up the winding staircase, finding himself in a large, circular library. In the middle was a table that was obviously used as a desk, books and writing materials neatly laid out in organized chaos. Albus didn't doubt for a moment that Gellert knew where everything was and would know at a glance if anything had been disturbed in the slightest.

Looking upward Albus raised an eyebrow, noting that there was a square cut out of the wooden ceiling, though it had been boarded over so that it was only noticeable if you were studying the ceiling. "Your room is up there?" He saw no way to get up there without dissipating, but Gellert wasn't legally old enough to do that yet. But even as he thought that Albus realized the stupidity of his thought. "You've just been dissipating yourself up there, haven't you? You removed the stairs or whatever led up there when you moved in."

Gellert shrugged. "It wasn't a skill I forgot. And what my parents don't know doesn't affect me."

"I see." Walking over to see what Gellert had been up to Albus stared in shock at the red stone that Gellert appeared to be using as a paperweight. "Gellert…is that a Philosopher's Stone?"

"I was bored a couple years ago and decided to try my hand at making one. It wasn't nearly as difficult as alchemists would have us believe." He'd never wanted to live forever and he had no need of the gold having always been part of a well off family. "Tommy is the only one that uses it. That's how I pay him for services rendered now. He blows the gold on the stupidest things."

Shaking his head Albus looked from the stone to Gellert. "And here I'd thought I'd seen the last one of these."

"Do you want it?"

"No. I have about as much use for that stone as you do." Tilting his head Albus brushed his lips over Gellert's. "We know better."

"We do." Sliding his fingers into the man's hair to hold Albus's head in place, Gellert returned the kiss with one filled with desire and heat, eagerly sliding his tongue against the seams of the man's lips, taking advantage when Albus's lips opened to give him full access to his mouth.

Wrapping his arms around the blonde's waist Albus teased Gellert's tongue with his own, feeling the tie for his hair being undone so that his hair soon hung straight and free, Gellert's fingers combing through it with a low hum of pleasure.

Forgetting about everything but each other Gellert transported them to the top of the tower, well aware of the fact that where Albus and sex were concerned his self control tended to wear thin. And he had a very clear vision in his head of Albus stretched out naked on his bed, one that he literally ached to make a reality.

Reappearing in his room both of them broke away as the darkness around them suddenly became a strange glow. The two looking around Gellert felt himself dangerously close to slipping into a state of shock. Someone had come into his room and added white candles in various sizes and groupings throughout, the candles having magically lit themselves at their entrance. There was also a vase of red roses on his bedside table, and his bed covers had been turned down invitingly as well.

Tommy.

He was going to frickin kill the elf for this.

Opening his mouth to place all the blame where it belonged Gellert's words died in his throat at the look that had come into his man's eyes.

"You did all this for me?" It was sort of on the schmaltzy side, but that Gellert would do this, even think of this, touched him extremely. The man must have been so embarrassed to have gotten Tommy to set this up, Albus thought as he went all gooey inside.

Throwing his arms back around Gellert's neck Albus kissed the man with so much heat and enthusiasm that the blonde almost fell backward, just managing to catch himself by grabbing onto his bed's headboard with one hand.

Forget killing the elf, Tommy was getting a raise for this.

Breaking the kiss off just long enough to lift Albus's jumper up and over the redhead's head Gellert lips curved up when Albus's hands got busy undoing the buttons of his own shirt while the man's lips nibbled on the side of his neck with knowing skill.

There were no nerves or hesitation, they both knew exactly how to touch and pleasure the other. Both had spent decades mentally reliving their brief summer together, etching every detail into their minds as they dreamed of what had been. They had also spent a substantial amount of time imagining what they would do if ever presented with the opportunity to touch the other again.

That opportunity had come and they weren't about to waste it.

Stripping out of their clothes with the other's help Gellert eased Albus back and onto his bed, sliding on top of the other man to straddle him. Sitting up for a moment Gellert stared down at the redhead with intense, hungry eyes, the blonde's breathing harsh and shallow as he savored at the picture his former lover made.

Staring up at Gellert Albus slid his hands up the man's well developed chest, finding this change to the man's physic to be a very, very sexy one. That Gellert was looking at him like he was an all you could eat buffet after a fast helped too.

"Why are you staring?" Albus finally asked when Gellert just continued to look down at him, nerves starting to stir as it occurred to him that maybe his two visible tattoos were a turn off. And Gellert hadn't even seen the one on his back yet.

Gellert's first inclination was to just dismiss his staring, but being brilliant he remembered their conversation the month before about him never complimenting his man's physical appearance. And he wasn't in the habit of making the same mistake twice.

"I'm staring at you. You're so beautiful, fire and snow." Gellert's voice was low and husky as he reached out to comb Albus's hair down so that it spread out against the ivory white skin before him. "Absolute perfection."

Color flushing his cheeks Albus held out his arms. "Perfection is us together."

"Can't argue with that." Leaning forward and into the redhead's arms Gellert eagerly sought that perfection, finding it there as they kissed and touched, skin gleaming with sweat as they moved together with sighs and moans of pleasure.

Both sought and found absolute completion in each other's arms, finally joined in body, heart and soul with their other half. After decades apart they were finally whole once more, as they were meant to be and could only be with the other.


	32. Meet The In-Laws

Special Note: As many of you have probably noticed this fanfic is now focusing in on Albus and Gellert almost exclusively. This is because the fanfic grew beyond my original plans and now requires me splitting the story into two fanfics. This part will end after two more main events occur shortly and then the sequel will focus in on Al and Scorpius as the main with the others playing secondary roles. Thanks.

Meet The In-laws

After dinner Scorpius and Al found themselves heading back to their bedroom together, walking side by side down the hallways. It was only now starting to sink into their heads that with Gellert and Albus gone, they were going to be in the room alone together, and both did their best not to make it obvious that they were thinking about it. A lot.

Trying to distract them both Scorpius decided to end the awkward silence growing between them as they tried to pretend they weren't both thinking what they were thinking. "So what was your crazy cousin planning to tease Wimbledon about before, when he was leaving?"

"Oh that."Al chuckled, shaking his head. "She was going to ask him if he'd packed protection." Rolling his eyes, Al supposed it was for the best that Scorpius had muzzled them both.

"Protection? What does he need protection from? Gellert wouldn't let anyone harm a hair on the git's head. And they were just going to Gellert's house, right?"

Turning his head to look at the blonde Al's lips twitched when he saw that the man was perfectly serious. But of course his ex wouldn't know what he was talking about, Al mentally reminded himself with a small grin. The closest Scorpius had ever gotten to Muggle merchandise would be stuff he'd shown him when they'd been at Hogwarts together. The Wizarding World's idea of birth control was abstinence for men and potions for the girls. Or at least he assumed there were potions for that, he'd have to ask Domi about it sometime. Especially if Christopher ever made a serious move in Domi's direction. Scratch that, Al amended, knowing his cousin well. He'd need to ask when Domi made a serious move in that direction.

Doing his best not to grin Al struggled to figure out how to answer the man's question without embarrassing the blonde too much with the answer. Scorpius would never believe he hadn't done it on purpose. "You probably don't want to know the answer to your question."Al finally said. "Still want to know what that answer is?"

Scorpius studied Al's face before responding. "Will it make me think about what our two roommates are probably doing at the moment?"

"There's a good chance of that, yes."

Scorpius didn't have to think about his answer this time. "Never mind then. I don't want to know."

"I didn't think you would." Slugging a friendly arm around Scorpius's shoulder without thinking about it Al froze for a moment, not sure what to do. But the former Slytherin didn't tense up, and taking that as a good sign Al left his arm there as they neared the hallway leading to their door.

Entering their room moments later Al headed for his bed, pausing when Scorpius softly said his name. "Yeah?"

"What are we going to do when they get back here? I mean they aren't honestly going to just keep their hands to themselves five days of the week and just go somewhere on weekends."

Al shrugged sheepishly. "Who knows what's going to happen. Worst comes to worst you could move over to my side of the room and then at least they'd be in the same bunk bed together."

So his choices were to be over the two while they went at it like rabbits or sleeping under Al, Scorpius mused. Sleeping under Al. Mind filling with images Scorpius could only hope in some part of his mind that what he was imagining wasn't written all over his face.

But it was, and Al had to admit that he liked the look of those images as well. Knowing better then to comment though Al started up his ladder. 'We'll see what's what when they get back."

"I suppose." Shoving his hands in his pockets Scorpius watched the man disappear behind his curtain. "Night, Al."

"Night, Scor."

)

Gellert woke up with a slow, sexy smile as he breathed in their combined scents on Albus's skin, the feel of the heart beating steadily under his hand. Stroking that skin with loving circles Gellert allowed himself to drift back into a half sleep, too comfortable to get up. But finally he forced himself to roll off his very comfortable lover and sit up, looking down at the man who'd worn him so deliciously out. And admiring every inch of visible skin Gellert's eyes landed on the partially visible shoulder tattoo Albus wore there. And that made him realize that he'd gotten the man's shirt off, which had been the requirement for him getting a glimpse of the man's final tattoo.

Waking to the feel of someone shaking his shoulder Albus opened one eye to blearily meet Gellert's gaze. "Again? Already?"

"That would depend on what I think of your back. Roll over."

Too sleepy to understand Albus figured that the man just wanted to take him from another position, sleepily rolling over and onto his stomach. It wasn't until he felt the man's fingers tracing the design he'd had tattooed on his back that the redhead clued into why the man wanted to see his back. Automatically stiffening Albus waited for Gellert to make some cutting comment, but none came.

Staring at the design his fingers traced Gellert wasn't sure what it said about him that he was absolutely, without question, completely enamored and turned on by the design inked into his lover's perfect skin.

The tattoo that covered the top half of Albus's back was a phoenix, whose wings spread out the length of the redhead's thin shoulders; the bird's swan-like neck curved downward, its talons closed as it hovered there. Using magic the phoenix seemed to be made of fire, its body almost seeming to glow with crimsons, oranges and yellows.

It truly was a work of art.

Lowering his head with the intention of tracing the design with his tongue, Gellert paused when he was an inch away from the man's skin, a sound from his dresser alerting him to the presence of someone else in his tower. Lifting his head Gellert looked towards his bedroom mirror which showed two people making their way up the stairs of the tower.

His parents. And his mother was pissed.

"This won't be good."

Twisting around Albus sat up as well, retrieving his glasses so that he could see what Gellert was looking at. Blinking, he studied the woman who bore a striking resemblance to Gellert and the man who appeared to be trying to talk her out of whatever she intended to do once they reached the top of the stairs. "You didn't booby trap the library did you?"

"I had Tommy deactivate them before he left Saturday morning."

And before Albus could give the man heck for the situation they now found themselves Gellert's mother spoke, loudly enough that the men could understand her easily through the floor.

"GELLERT DECLAN STALANSKI! YOU ARE IN SO MUCH TROUBLE, MISTER. WHERE ARE THE STAIRS TO YOUR BEDROOM, YOUNG MAN?"

"Hmm. She really shouldn't strain her vocal cords like that." Getting out of bed without a hint of self consciousness at his nakedness, Gellert retrieved his wand and pointed it at the floor, issuing a spell Albus recognized as being based on one of his own. Obviously Gellert had read somewhere about him discovering how to make patronus' speak, and had figured out the spell while expanding on it as the blonde turned his wand so that the tip was against his lips like a microphone..

Watching in the mirror Albus's eyebrows hit his hairline as he saw what creature had materialized in the library.

A Thestral.

"Mother, you called?"

)

Rounding on her heels Felicia Stalanski stared at the beast, which struck her as horrible wrong given that the symbol of death was now white, foggy and speaking in her son's voice. Gellert's patronus was a Thestral? Good grief. But now was not the time to dwell on that, she reminded herself as she crossed her arms in front of her. "Gellert, get down here this instant. And don't give me any grief about invading your privacy, you broke the rules when you invited a girl here without even telling me."

"I don't recall you ever saying that was a rule, Mother. And incidentally, even if it were, I didn't break that rule because I didn't bring a girl home with me." The Thestral calmly informed her.

"Don't you take that calm voice with me, Gellert. I might have never punished you seriously in your almost seventeen years of life, but don't think I can't start. I am your mother, and I am seriously angry at you. And don't say you didn't bring a girl home with you because your father was talking about it in his sleep last night. He always does that when he has a guilty conscience."

"I am so glad I never inherited that flaw." Gellert said to Albus, forgetting that his words were being broadcasted to his parents as well.

"Concentrate on talking to your mother." Albus advised from the bed, crossing his arms in front of him sternly. "I'll yell at you later for inviting me over after I told you this would happen."

"How was I to know my father talked in his sleep?" Gellert argued. "And don't you give me that look either. Go back to sleep and I'll join you in a minute."

"GELLERT! Am I or am I not talking to you right now?" Gellert's mother yelled at the Threstal who currently represented her son. "And that girl has every right to be angry at you for deceiving your mother, who was in labor with you for fourteen and a half hours. Now come down here right now, I have no interest in discussing this with your patronus. And bring your girl with you so that I can apologize to her in person for raising such an ill mannered son for her to date."

"Give me fifteen minutes to shower and get dressed and I'll be right down." Gellert informed her through his wand, turning his attention back to his mother reluctantly. "But there's no reason for me to introduce you to Albus until you've calmed down. And you won't yell at him." Gellert added, warning clear in his voice. The look in his eyes, had his mother been able to see them, would have made it clear to her that Albus was not someone to be mistreated in his presence under any circumstances.

"He? It's a…Baby, are you gay?"

"Yes."

Glaring at her equally shocked husband Gellert's mother was about to blast him for not telling her something so important when she clued in that he hadn't been expecting their houseguest to be male either. "GELLERT! How dare you not tell us something that important!"

"We'll meet you downstairs in twenty minutes. Don't touch anything in my library."

And with that Gellert's patronus dissolved into thin air.

Sharing looks with each other neither of Gellert's parents knew quite what to say or do. Which wasn't all that unusual where Gellert was concerned. In fact, that was usually the norm. Trying to understand their son was like trying to understand why the there wasn't one universal language for all sentient beings to speak. It made sense that there wasn't one language, but things would be so much easier if there was.

"Well at least he didn't freak out over the invasion of privacy. I thought for sure he would have booby trapped the tower." Gellert's father said slowly, trying to look on the positive side. And okay, so his son was gay, there were worse things. At least the boy was interested in somebody. That was good. And it said something about their son's trust in them, that he was confident enough to admit he was gay so casually. Right?

Trying to think of what to say to that Felicia's eyes happened to land on her son's desk, studying the bright red stone resting there so innocently. "Stephan…."

"Yes, love?"

"Is that a Philosopher's Stone on our son's desk?"

"I really hope not."

"Me too."

)

Fifteen minutes later both young men were showered, dressed, and Albus was really, really hoping it wasn't obvious that the shower had been shared and Gellert had taken extreme advantage of that fact. He had the hickeys to prove it, Albus thought with a sigh, very thankful he'd brought a turtleneck with him. Fingering the collar Albus looked over at the calm blonde, trying to think of something to take his mind off the fact that he was about to meet Gellert's new parents. "So your middle name is Declan. Is it a family name?"

"My mother comes from a long line of linguists, that's why I spoke nearly as many languages as you the first time we met. Our names tend to be from all over the world and occasionally even non human species. Anya's middle name is Isabella, my mother is Felicia Nala."

"Interesting."

"Why are you nervous?"Gellert wanted to know, studying the redhead curiously as they headed for the main parlor, where he assumed his parents would be waiting for them. "They'll love you. They've probably always imagined that if I did bring someone home with me the girl would be as confusing to them as I am. You're very normal and I'm nicer when I'm around you. You honestly have nothing to worry about, Albus. They'll see you as a gift from the heavens."

"There is the fact that I'm not a girl though, Gellert." Albus pointed out, knowing very well that Gellert was far too smart not to know the importance of that little shocker. The Stalanskis had most definitely not been expecting a man when they'd come home to get a look at their son's lover.

Gellert shrugged that off with ease. "I don't see why they should care about that overly. I'm sure Tristan will procreate more than enough for the both of us. And if not you probably want to adopt, right?"

Albus blinked. "You want kids?"

"No particularly. But I doubt I'd be incorrect in assuming you want them. I'm sure I could tolerate one or two of them for the eighteen or so years I'd spend helping you raise him or her. Preferably a him. I don't do well with females. Oh, and no blondes. Absolutely no blondes."

"I'll keep that in mind." Shaking his head Albus took a deep breath when they reached the archway leading into the main parlor, telling himself that if Gellert wasn't remotely worried then he shouldn't be. And he wouldn't be except that he was about to meet the love of both his lives parents and he wanted them to like him. And this was not a good first impression he was making, Albus thought as they walked in side by side.

Walking over to them Felicia gave her son a hard look before turning her attention to the tall redhead who looked very calm and composed but struck her as nervous too. Which was good, she was really nervous herself. This was the first person her son had ever shown a romantic interest in. What if the boy didn't like her?

Having come up silently behind his wife Gellert's father held out a hand to Albus, approving the younger man's firm, steady handshake. "I'm Stephan Stalanski, Gellert's father. Gellert called you Albus. Would I be correct in assuming you're his new roommate from Hogwarts, Albus Wimbledon?"

"Yes, sir. It's a pleasure to meet you." Liking the kindness he saw in the older man's eyes Albus felt comfortable enough to smile back at the man. Gellert didn't resemble the man at all physically, but Albus figured he had the man in front of him to thank for Gellert slightly kinder personality.

Crossing her arms in consideration Felicia looked the redhead up and down and then nodded her head in satisfaction. "Well you're certainly lovely. At least Gellert inherited my excellent taste in men looks wise. Welcome to our home." And being the affectionate sort Felicia gave Albus a quick, welcoming hug.

"Mother."

"Oh pish, don't look at me like that, Gellert." And what she said next cemented in Albus's mind that the woman was indeed Gellert's mother in more than just looks. "Now come with me, Albus. I have loads and loads of pictures of Gellert when he was a baby to show you."

Gellert blinked after her like an owl. "My…baby pictures?"

"That's what happens when you don't introduce your boyfriends to your mother properly, Baby." Was his mother's oh so sweet response as she took the surprised redhead's hand and dragged him over to the nearby couch, the coffee table already weighed down with seven photo album. "Now you boys go play nice while Albus and I get acquainted. Shoo."


	33. Hidden in The Mind

Hidden In The Mind

"Awwww, I wanna see baby pictures of Gellert too." Domi cooed over breakfast the next morning, laying it on thick since she could see how much the topic irritated the man in question. "I bet you were so adorable, with your pretty blonde curls. I bet you looked like a little cherub, didn't you, Gellert? You should have borrowed some, Albus, so we could all see."

Actually, Gellert's mother had given him a copy of his favorites, but Gellert had promised dire consequences if he showed them to anyone. So Albus just smiled and shrugged his shoulders regretfully.

Al smirked. "Well either way, you gotta hand it to your mum, Gellert. Not that baby pictures haven't been used as blackmail material since the dawn of time. And it is one of the best way to insure you don't get your girlfriend knocked up before you're out of school. My mom has this one picture of James…well needless to say he used to spend every holiday and summer looking for all the copies after he started dating. She says she'll give them to him when he's married with kids of his own."

Scorpius gave Al a questioning look from across the table. "Do you have any really embarrassing baby pictures?"

"Nope, I look perfectly cute and adorable in every one."

Domi looked over at Gellert slyly. "I bet you were equally adorable and cute, Gellert."

Gellert glared at the other blonde, but opted not to say anything since Albus was still a little annoyed with him about how their weekend had ended. His redhead had not appreciated meeting his parents under those circumstances, even though the three had gotten along swimmingly.

So he listened to them chat for a good hour, marveling at the useless things they chose to discuss while he eavesdropped. All of it was boring or annoying enough that he would have simply zoned out if he weren't so aware of the redhead beside him. Pretending to care earned him brownie points.

It wasn't until they were heading for their first afternoon class that Gellert heard something the least bit interesting to him.

They were almost at the classroom door when he heard his name being called, Gellert turning around to see his grandfather making his way towards him at a brisk trot. Curious over the look on the man's face Gellert walked over to meet his grandfather half way, the two moving to stand off to the side as the Headmaster relayed some message to his grandson.

When Gellert rejoined them in the classroom Albus gave him a questioning look. "What was that about?"

"Some small time thug mugged my godfather on his way to work this morning. The idiot even screwed up the memory charm he tried to put on him to make him forget who mugged him." Gellert answered in a very matter of fact tone of voice, getting out his parchment and quill.

"He's okay?" Al asked, having seen for himself what a bad memory charm could do. It was hard to believe his father when the man said Lockhart had been even more annoying when his brains had been working.

"I would assume so, otherwise they'd be dragging me out of school to go and show concern." Not that his godfather would appreciate him visiting. His godfather didn't trust him as far as the steely eyed banker could throw him. It really was a sad state of affairs that only his godfather seemed to see beyond his masks, Gellert thought as he dipped his quill into his ink in preparation for the start of class. Not that the man had any idea who he was truly dealing with, but his godfather liked him about as much as he liked his godfather.

Which was to say not at all.

Albus's thoughts ran parallel to Gellert's, reading into the man's tone of voice. "You and your godfather don't get along?"

"Not in the slightest."

"And he likes Gellert about as much." Scorpius added, having met the man a time or two. "The family tries to keep them apart as much as possible. The guy hates that Gellert is so much smarter than he is. It drives him rather daft."

That was a contributing factor too, Gellert acknowledged, especially since he took such pleasure in correcting the man whenever possible just to piss the stuck up prat off.

Albus shook his head at his man's attitude, thinking what opposites they were. He had always tried not to lord his superior intelligence over others, while Gellert delighted in rubbing his intelligence in everyone's faces. "Well I hope he's fine, if only for your godmother and Anya's sake."

"If you like."

)

It was late that night, just before the students still out in the various common rooms were about to turn in, that the Aurors arrived at the school. The Headmaster was summoned to speak with them, the old man at a loss when they informed him that they were there to have a talk with his eldest grandson. With a growing sense of dread the Headmaster demanded to know what their business with Gellert was, but they refused to answer him no matter how he pressed them for an explanation. Instead they made it clear that they would not be turned away and he would be arrested if he tried to prevent them from speaking to his grandson. Frustrated and worried the Headmaster accompanied them up to the Common Room for his grandson's floor, a silent warning in his old eyes as they approached the group his grandson was sitting with.

Adrenaline kicking in Gellert's face became a blank slate as he automatically identified the men bookending his grandfather as Aurors. They'd come for him, he knew it as surely as he knew the answer to any question his teachers might think to ask him.

They wouldn't take him, Gellert thought as his right hand instinctively slid into his robe pocket. He would not go back to prison and the darkness. He'd end his own life first.

Resting a restraining hand on Gellert's shoulder Albus rose as his lover did, the two moving away from the group as the three newcomers approached. Albus stood directly behind his lover, hovering protectively as he too braced for the possibilities.

Sensing the possible danger the rest of the group got to their feet too, prepared to defend as well. That Christopher made the younger Auror nervous was obvious, but the other, older man didn't look remotely fazed by the protective half circle forming around the boy they'd come to see.

Breaking away from the other two the Auror in charge marched straight up to stand a couple feet away from the blonde, the two taking each other's measure in a quick glance.

"You're Gellert Declan Stalanski." The Auror stated, getting a chill as he looked into the boy's flat, shark like eyes. The man's face was edging towards feminine, but the eyes guaranteed no one would make the mistake of thinking the boy weak. If the boy didn't already have blood on his hands it wasn't for lack or nerve or disposition. This one had ice in his veins and no fear.

Gellert stared at the man without revealing any of his thoughts. "Yes. You are?"

"My name is David Frank. My partner and I are here to speak with you about an important matter."

Without a word Gellert turned and walked over to the table they'd been using, leaning down to grab Scorpius's quill. In quick, precise handwriting Geller wrote out two names and addresses on a spare piece of parchment, holding it out to the Auror as soon as the ink was dry enough. "Then you'll want to contact my parents, and our lawyers. You can't question me about anything without them in the room. Good evening, gentlemen."

Taking the piece of parchment the Auror noted that the law office indicated was the best to be had in Germany. No surprise. The boy's family was prominent enough to afford them.

"I just have a couple of questions, Gellert." The Auror began, though he knew in his gut he was wasting his time.

"I don't recall giving you leave to call me by my given name, Auror." Gellert responded in a voice so cold it was a wonder they didn't mistaken their surroundings for Antarctica. "And if you think to out wit me into giving you something to work with I advise you to save your breath. To say I wasn't born yesterday is a vast, vast understatement."

"My grandson is right." The Headmaster piped up, knowing better than to let Gellert get into a battle of wits with the Aurors. His grandson would win, no question, but the last thing the boy needed was to make an enemy of the Aurors. "And unless you're prepared to tell me what's going on I'll have to ask you to leave now."

Frank nodded at the Headmaster before turning his attention back to the boy. "I'll be back tomorrow to collect you. I'll have your parents and your lawyers meet us at Headquarters."

"Feel free to hold your breath on that."

"You will watch your tongue when you speak to my superior, Boy." The other Auror warned, something in his eyes suggesting that his was a very short fuse.

The older Auror held up a hand to signal his partner to settle down. "You'd be surprised how long I can hold my breath, Gellert. And if you want to make this official then it is in your rights to do so. You're still a child after all, it's only logical that you would want your parents present to look out for your interests."

Albus pitied the man for thinking that he could use Gellert's ego against him. Gellert's ego was a lot bigger and more fortified than the school they were currently residing in. It would take a lot more than a pathetic ego jab like that to even make a glancing blow.

No one was surprised by Gellert response to the man's veiled insult.

"This child finds himself amused that you should be so easily beaten by him."

"Not to mention he never really was a child, believe me." The Headmaster muttered under his breath. "And now gentlemen, I have to ask you both to leave or I will have you escorted from the premises. I am within my rights to do so." He couldn't compete with his grandson in the glare department, but his was nothing to joke about when he was properly riled.

"Until tomorrow then." Turning on his heels the Auror motioned for his partner to follow him, the man reluctantly falling into steps beside him.

The Headmaster gave Gellert a searching look before following after the Aurors to see them out.

When the Aurors and his grandfather were no longer in sight Gellert risked a quick glance in Christopher's direction. Though he'd committed any number of crimes in his past life he'd been a good little boy in this life except for one crime. One action that could, in the eyes of some, be worth imprisoning him for.

What did they know?

Moving his fingers as subtly as possible Christopher asked that very question.

Gellert gave the faintest of shrugs in response.

But as much as they'd done to hide their silent communications Albus and Domi caught the signals, though neither could see what was said thanks to the angle of the two men's bodies.

"What is going on?" Domi demanded to know in French, crossing her arms in front of her as she gave Gellert a dark look. "What trouble have you gotten him into?" Deliberately she used a language she was fairly certain most of the possible eavesdroppers would fail to understand. She didn't want to draw attention to her man after all. His punishment would be far more severe and likely after all.

Christopher gently cupped her chin so that she would look up and meet his gaze, shaking his head at her, his eyes conveying that Gellert had not gotten him into anything. What Gellert had done, what he'd helped Gellert do, was not something he would ever regret. Even if he died for it, it was something he considered worth dying for.

"Gellert?" Albus looked down at the blonde questioningly.

"They won't get past the lawyers."

Albus moved to stand in front of the blonde, reaching out to run his hands up and down the man's arms. "That's not what I was asking."

"That's all I'm telling."

)

After changing Gellert laid down in his bed, studying his ceiling as his mind whirled, trying to come up with something the Aurors might have on him that would be solid enough for them to have dared to approach him the way they had. It had certainly been a calculated risk on their part. But what could they have? Only he, Tommy, Christopher and Anya knew the whole truth. Or Anya knew what a girl her age was capable of understanding. The latter two couldn't betray him without incriminating themselves, and Anya knew the risks of telling anyone what she knew. And if they heard the story from her Anya would have instantly felt guilty for spilling and would have relayed what she'd done to Tommy so as to warn him. No visit from Tommy, so that wasn't it.

Even if his parents had the knowledge and the curse breaking skills to have gotten into his personal files, they would never turn on him, he was sure of that. This time around he had parents who, even if he had repeated all his prior crimes, would still have come to visit him in prison. They would have come to chew him out, but they would have at least come.

So what did the Aurors have on him?

And as he lay and pondered it occurred to Gellert that it was probably too much of a coincidence that the visit from the Aurors had happened the same day as his godfather's mugging. That had to be it, Gellert realized with narrowing eyes. The mugger had messed up a memory charm, the healers must have discovered something in the bastard's memories when they were fixing the damage. They knew someone had messed with his memories before. That he had used a memory charm on his godfather before, to make the man forget what little he knew about that cursed night.

So they could know that Dominic Odin had been at his godfamily's estate the night before he'd gone 'missing'.

But that made no sense, his charms were flawless. He never left behind evidence of his deeds. There should have been nothing there for them to find. Tapping his fingers against his sides Gellert concentrated on what he felt was the right avenue, his brilliant brain coming up with another possibility almost instantly.

They hadn't discovered that he'd messed with the man's memory…they'd found out that Dominic Odin had messed with his godfather's memory.

Since his godfather always thought the worst of him, it was logical that the man would cast the blame in his direction automatically. His godfather had always been suspicious of the timing between Odin's disappearance and his own knee injury. The man had never been able to prove anything but…it was definitely within the realm of possibility that his godfather had mentioned his suspicions to the Aurors.

This could be quite troublesome, Gellert thought as his fingers stilled. Fate never had been into cutting him a break.

Mentally cursing the fates who had finally given him back Albus, only to throw this new, entirely unexpected hurdle at him, Gellert's thoughts were interrupted by his bed curtain being pushed aside. Watching Albus slip inside Gellert lifted up his covers so that the redhead could slide into bed beside him if he wished. A test, to see how the Aurors visit had affected their relationship.

It was with considerable relief for the blonde that Albus chose to slide under the covers, Gellert automatically moving to lie on top of the man as soon as he was settled in.

"I thought to wait until Scorpius was settled. The last thing I wanted was to get into an argument with him about the sleeping arrangements." Albus said softly, reaching up to slide his fingers through the blonde's short curls. "So will you tell me now what they want with you?"

"You needn't worry. They can't possibly have enough to arrest me. Question me maybe, but that's about it."

"Gellert."

Lips twitching faintly at the redhead's tone Gellert nuzzled his face against the side of Albus's neck. "What I did was the right thing to do. Even you, with your high moral standards, would agree with me. The only reason what I did isn't common knowledge is that I had to bend some laws to do it. The law which failed to do what needed to be done by the way."

"Why won't you tell me what you did?"

"Maybe I want you to believe me without knowing." Gellert suggested, which did play a part in it. The other was that he didn't want Albus even remotely involved with what might go down if, by some cruel twist of fate, the Aurors actually uncovered some of what he'd done and chose to prosecute. He would not let them use his lover as a bargaining chip.

Albus was silent for a moment, and then he turned his head to place a light kiss on the top of the other man's head. "I believe you did what you thought you needed to do."

"It will be all right."

"It will be all right." Albus agreed, wrapping his arms around Gellert's waist. They would find a way to make it all right this time around.

They had to.


	34. Gellert's Little Secret

Gellert's Little Secret

The next morning Gellert got up early and doing his best not to wake up Albus, which wasn't hard since the man slept like a log, slid out of bed and after getting dressed headed out of the room. It felt weird to be up so early, but in a good way, he mused. It made him feel more normal somehow. But he didn't have time to waste with those thoughts, he had bigger things to contemplate and plan for.

Arriving at Christopher's door minutes later Gellert knocked once and then let himself in, not surprised to find the werewolf up and waiting for him. Snagging the man's desk chair Gellert wheeled it over while Christopher got comfortable in the chair he'd let Al sleep in that memorable night. "Your name won't come up." Gellert said softly, getting straight to the point. "No matter what they find it will come back on me and Tommy if they should come to know of his existence. You have nothing to be worried about."

'I'm aware of the steps you took to insure neither of us would get in trouble.' Christopher signed back. 'But that they've found out anything at all is worrying.'

Quickly Gellert summarized what he thought the Aurors might have on them. "And logically that's all they could possibly have. You can't be charged for giving me information, Christopher, or for helping Tommy treat my injuries after the fact."

'If I could convince them that that was all I did for you. The truth doesn't matter to these men, Gellert, we learned that well enough when we investigated Odin. That's one of the reasons we had to do what we did. The law is more than blind in his case. She's blind, deaf, dumb and biased.'

Gellert's lips twitched. "Now you're starting to sound like me."

'There are worse people I could emulate occasionally.'

"Many would disagree." Leaning back in his chair Gellert spoke frankly. "I'll have Tommy take care of Anya, prep her and remind her of the importance of her keeping her mouth shut regardless of what happens. She can't understand sign language so she can't tell them anything about you there. She can only incriminate Tommy and I, or just me, since very few people know Tommy even exists."

It was true. Anya had always been their weak link. She'd been too young to risk a memory charm, her brain still in too new a stage of development. They'd kept her out of things as much as possible, but the little girl had picked up enough to have them incarcerated for life. Well Gellert for life, he'd be executed immediately. All they would have to do is take the memories from the girl's mind, put them in a Pensieve, and get someone to translate his gestures. Gellert thought he wasn't wise enough to realize that, and Christopher opted to let the other man think he was still in the dark there.

'Worse comes to worse, Tommy and Albus could always break us out of lock up.'

Gellert nodded in amused agreement, sure the elf would love the opportunity. 'Domi is going to be all over you, trying to figure out how you fit into all of this. She doesn't strike me as the type who will give up until she's gotten her way.'

It was Christopher's turn to nod in agreement. He figured the same. He was both looking forward to and dreading the next little while. It was sure to be memorable either way. She was the creative sort.

"You have my sympathies."

'Thanks.'

)

If the Aurors had taken Gellert's advice and held their breath until they could pull him in for questioning they would have indeed expired. It wasn't the next day as threatened, but he was ordered to report to Auror Headquarters two and a half weeks later. He got the summoning two days in advance, and played dumb for his parents and the lawyers when they came to the school to question him about what was going on. Gellert's parents had already been updated by his godmother, who had kicked her husband out of the house upon learning that her godson's troubles were all her husband's fault. That his godfather was now living with his elderly mother was a small consolation to Gellert, especially since the woman's collection of cats was well known. His parents knew there was more than he was telling them, and Gellert gave them credit for some of their attempted fact finding maneuvers, but he went into the forced meeting with his secrets still firmly locked away from his family.

All his family but Anya, but she had been thoroughly briefed about the situation by Tommy and the girl knew not to say a word to anyone, should she, for some reason, be questioned about the matter.

Albus insisted on going with him and Gellert secretly welcomed the man's support. The Aurors didn't like the other man's presence in the meeting but Albus was prepared to argue his case and finally the Aurors gave in just to shut him up. The man could quote law books like sports writers could quote past Quidditch scores and rulings.

Gellert sat between his parents, Albus standing directly behind his man with his hands resting on Gellert's shoulders. The blonde's parents were flanked by two well dressed, very expensive lawyers who were there to make the Aurors wish they'd never heard their client's name.

On the other side of the table were the two Aurors from before and Gellert's godfather, who looked decidedly unhappy to be here. His pettiness where his godson was concerned had backfired on him horribly and the man knew it. He actually wanted his godson to get off now since that was the only way he was going to see his wife and daughter in the near future.

As per proper procedure the head Auror went through the legal spiel, everyone in the room identified and presence explained. Technical jargon was thrown around a little and than it was time to get down to business.

"Mr. Stalanski, you are here in connection to the investigation into the disappearance of one Dominic Odin, a business associate of your godfather's, Mr. Kurt Hiegel. Can you tell me how well you knew Mr. Odin?"

Gellert's face was an unreadable blank. "We exchanged no more than a handful of words. I don't spend a great deal of time at my godparents' estate and my godfather's business deals are of no interest or concern to me."

"What was your impression of Mr. Odin?"

"He didn't interest me."

Reaching into a file folder the Auror pulled out a picture and held it out across the table towards Gellert. "Do you recognize the person in this photograph?"

Taking the photograph Gellert studied it, his parents and Albus looking at it as well. Gellert's parents stared at the photo in confusion, Albus with interest. Gellert simply sent the photo sliding across the table. "The girl resembles my godsister, Anya Hiegel. But it's not her, nor is the girl in the photograph a legitimate member of our family to my knowledge."

Studying the young man's face Frank knew instinctively that this was not the first time Stalanski had seen the girl in the photograph. But he'd expected no less. If it weren't for the boy's complete distain for the law, government and rules, the Stalanski heir would probably have made an excellent Auror. He'd expected the boy to have done his research thoroughly.

"The girl in the photograph is Marlena Odin, the younger sister of Dominic Odin. She died at the age of sixteen." Picking up the picture the Auror held it out to the boy's godfather to get his reaction. "Did Mr. Odin ever mention the resemblance to you, Mr. Hiegel?"

"No." The man answered in puzzlement, staring at the picture. "She really looks so much like my baby…it's uncanny."

Leaving the picture with the man for the moment Frank turned his attention back to Gellert. "How would you describe your relationship with your godsister, Anya Hiegel, Mr. Stalanski?"

Damn, Gellert thought as his busy mind tried to think of how best to proceed. This could be bad. He hadn't counted on the man looking into Odin's past deeply enough to pick up on the physical similarities between Anya and Marlena Odin. And he doubted very much the Auror had mentioned the latter's untimely death for the hell of it. Just how deeply had the Auror sitting before him looked into Odin's past? And more importantly, was Frank as straight an arrow as Christopher's sources said him to be? Because if he wasn't this could get interesting very, very quickly.

"My godsister and I have a cordial relationship."

Frank's face showed interest at the other man's response. "Cordial? An interesting choice of words, especially given the subject. From what I understand you had very little to do with your godsister for most of her life thus far, Mr. Stalanski. That it's only been in the last eighteen months or so that you two have begun to enjoy a…cordial relationship. What changed, if you don't mind me asking?"

Gellert thought about saying he did mind, but he could sense the tension this was causing the people around him so he bit back his smart remark and answered. "She got older. I have no use for infants or toddlers. I find them annoying."

"So you enjoy spending time with her now?"

"I find her presence tolerable."

"You aren't a people person, are you, Mr. Stalanski?" Frank replied, leaning back in his seat as he got comfortable. "From what information we've gathered thus far you're a loner by nature, interacting with others only when necessary. Your teachers, classmates, and acquaintances describe you as controlled, cold, brilliant and methodical. The sort of person who rarely acts without rhyme or reason. Would you say that's correct?"

"What does my son's personality have to do with any of this?" Gellert's mother demanded to know, unable to remain silent anymore. They were trying to trip up and trap her son right in front of her and she wasn't going to allow it. "Just get to the point of all this. We know you think our son had something to do with this Odin person's disappearance but you have nothing to tie him to it. He was at school when this all happened and he was only fifteen. He wouldn't have been able to get off the school grounds without detection. So unless you have something you can hold him for we're through with allowing you to waste our time and blacken our son's good name."

He really was fond of his mother, Gellert thought absently while she traded insults and barbs with his would be jailers. Of course her concern for him was based solely on the fact that he was her flesh and blood but still…he was fond of her. He was a little insulted that she thought him incapable of leaving school grounds on a whim, but decided to give her the benefit of the doubt and assume she was lying to protect him. He'd been ditching the school grounds since his first year.

"As you wish, Mrs. Stalanski, we'll move on to more damning evidence." Turning his head Frank exchanged a look with his partner, who got to his feet and headed for the door.

)

The second Auror opened it and motions for someone to enter, both surprised when that someone turned out to be Gellert's godmother, cradling Anya in her arms. The two girls were obviously not pleased to be there, they both glared at the Auror as they passed him and Anya stuck out her tongue for added insult.

Watching them come in it was all Gellert could do not to lean forward and start rhythmically pounding his head against the solid oak table. Blondes. There were now three blonde women in the room with him. A room that also happened to have law officials who wanted very much to lock him away for a crime he'd worked so very hard to hide he had committed. But it was all going to come out now, Gellert thought wearily, fighting the urge to slump dejectedly in his seat and curse the fates who hated him so. It was all going to come out because there were blonde females in the room and bad things always happened to him when they were added to an already dangerous situation.

He was officially screwed.

Glaring at her husband Katara walked over to stand on Gellert's side of the table, Gellert's father giving up his seat so that she wouldn't have to stand. Katara smiled at him as she took the seat he offered, murmuring her thanks as she turned to face her godson's accusers. Gellert's father moved to stand behind his wife, pretty sure that she was liable to attack the Aurors if they started in on Gellert more aggressively.

"So you mind telling me why I had to bring my daughter here?" Gellert's godmother all but growled at the Aurors, her arms wrapped tightly around her daughter in a show of protection. Her cousin wouldn't be the only one attacking the law enforcement officers in front of them if they meant her baby harm.

"Because we'd like to talk to your daughter, if that's okay with you, Anya." Frank stated, smiling kindly at the little girl in the pretty pink dress with bows.

"You can sit on your questions and rotate, Mister."

Everyone looked at the little girl in shock, Albus and Gellert shaking their heads, knowing instinctively that Tommy had probably told her to say that.

"Anya Isabella Heigel! You apologize this once for your language." The little girl's father ordered, horrified and dumbfounded.

Anya's gaze was downright mutinous. "No."

"Katara, tell her to apologize." Gellert's godfather looked beseechingly at his wife.

The lady is questioning glared at her husband. "You can sit on your request and rotate too."

"Back to the subject at hand." Clearing his throat Frank had to admit that he hadn't anticipated the girl already being this much on the offensive. The boy must have prepped her for that, the Auror decided, looking in the direction of the impassive blonde. "Anya, I'm David Frank, I'm an Auror here and I need your help with something. There's no reason to be upset or nervous, you aren't in any trouble."

Crossing her arms stubbornly Anya stuck her chin out belligerently. "I'm saying nothing and you can't make me, you boogey head. I refuse to sing."

"To sing? I'm not asking you to sing, Miss. Heigel." Frank assured her with confusion written all over his face.

"You are too. I'm not stupid like you. You want me to be your rat, your weasel. Well I'm not snitching or singing, you jerk." Anya stuck her tongue out again, just to reinforce her refusal to cooperate.

Frank looked at her in bemusement, wondering where she'd learned such old fashioned, nineteen twenties and thirties slang. "You do realize I can insist you tell me what I want to know, young lady?"

Anya sniffed. "You can't cause I'm just little. And if you try to put me in the big house Gellert will find a way to get me out cause he's lots and lots more smarter than you are. And Albus is even smarter than he is, so there, you big meanie. I'm not afraid of you!"

"He is not smarter than I am." Gellert muttered.

"I am. Accept it." Albus shot back in a low voice.

"You are not." Gellert countered, forgetting their audience for the moment. "And we've already established that there's no one living or dead who approaches our level of genius and therefore could act as a judge to properly determine our comparative mental acuities."

Around the table all the adults stared at the two teenagers with a mixture of curiosity and shock at their audacity. The two couldn't possibly be that smart, could they?

Albus wasn't shocked silent though. "Yes, we have established there's no one to act as judge but ask anyone which one of strikes them as the more intelligent and they'll say me."

"That's just because of the two of us you're actually likable."

Albus's eyes went soft as he looked down at Gellert, who had tilted his head back to meet his gaze. "You're likable. You're just really hard to get to know."

"Only you would say that and actually mean it."

"I would say it too." Gellert's mother insisted, leaning over to give her son a smacking kiss on the cheek before looking up to smile at Albus. "I'd say you're both pretty brilliant too."

"Can we blow this popsicle stand yet?" Anya demanded to know with an anxious look in Gellert and Albus's directions, obviously not wanting to stay in the room.

Note to self, Gellert silently thought, talk to Tommy about the words he kept putting in Anya's mouth.

"Anya, what would you say if I told you we will hold Gellert here if you refuse to talk to us?" Frank asked, hoping the empty threat would jog something loose. Everyone at the table knew he didn't have enough to hold Gellert Stalanski, this was a fishing expedition that was not going well for him.

While the adults in the room all yelled at the Auror for daring to use those kind of tactics Anya turned her head and looked at Gellert questioningly. "Can we sic Tommy on him yet?"

"Not yet."


	35. Always The Blondes

Always The Blondes

The Auror's eyes sharpened at the new name being thrown into the mix, having already figured out that Anya was the key to finding out the truths he sought. It was just a matter of finding the right lock for that key. "And who is Tommy?" Frank asked the girl in a barely interested tone, ignoring the other adults in the room vying for his attention as he sought to turn the key a little.

When Anya and Gellert stubbornly ignored the Auror like he hadn't spoken Anya's father volunteered the information. "Tommy isn't real, Mr. Frank. He's her imaginary friend. A house elf."

"He is not a house elf, Papa!" Anya yelled at her father, her tone and volume shutting everyone else up as she glared at her father. "How many times do I have to tell you that Tommy's an elf, not a house elf!"

"Interesting."

Katara's gaze went to the Auror coolly, obviously not finding the new topic any better than the last. "And just why would my daughter's imaginary friend interest you? Or is having one illegal now too?"

"It interests me because I know a thing or two about an ancestor of yours, Mrs. Hiegel. A very famous ancestor in fact who shaped much of Eastern Europe during the nineteen thirties and forties." Frank began, seeing that the adults all knew who he was talking about right away. No reaction from the Stalanski heir though, he was still as cool as a cucumber as the saying went. "You might not be aware of this, Mrs. Hiegel, most people aren't, but your ancestor, who I would assume your godson is named after, was a proponent of Elf rights. He believed that they should be treated with the same rights and respect as they are currently being given in the United Kingdom and some other European countries. It's said that he once permanently removed the arm of one of his top men because the wizard in question attempted to punish Grindelwald 's family elf after the creature refused to serve him. It's even said, by some who were closest to your ancestor, that that elf was the closest and most loyal member of Grindelwald 's army."

"We're well aware of that. The elf in question was buried at the family estate by Grindelwald personally after the elf was killed by Aurors sent to assassinate him. The marker still stands today." Gellert's mother shot back impatiently. "And for the record Gellert is a family name."

"And what does this have to do with my son?" Gellert's father asked, his voice soft but with an underlying steel rarely heard from him.

"It's interesting because most little girls wouldn't choose an elf for an imaginary friend, Mr. Stalanski. Nor would they imagine that elf to be a source of potential violence. Most see that particular species as being domestic, weak, and harmless. How long has your daughter had this imaginary friend called Tommy?"

Mentally thinking about it Katara paused when she realized something. Something that had her looking down at her daughter and then over towards her godson. It had never occurred to her before, but she had had a lot of time to think about any encounters Gellert might have had with Mr. Odin since she'd heard what her husband was accusing her godson of doing. And having gone over those details again and again Katara was suddenly struck with the realization that it was the day after Gellert's first introduction to Mr. Odin that Anya had started talking to her imaginary friend Tommy. And now, seeing where the Auror was going with his questions and history lesson, Katara felt a chill run down her spine as she thought of the strange words Anya sometimes used, words she'd often wondered about since no one else in their family would have used them. She'd just assumed Anya had been picking them up at her friends' houses, but what if...what if her daughter hadn't been holding conversations with thin air all this time? What if there had really been an elf there all those times, being with her daughter day and night. There would have to be a reason for that, some reason that an elf would suddenly enter her daughter's life and dedicate himself to Anya. And the timing...

Slowly meeting Frank's prodding stare Katara swallowed hard and got straight to the point. "Mr. Frank...you have a reason for thinking Gellert did what you're accusing him of. He never does anything without a reason, so what reason do you think he had? What do you think Mr. Odin did that would make Gellert remove him permanently from our lives? And how does it involve my daughter?"

"The girl in the picture...he has a picture of this Odin person's sister and she looked just like Anya." Gellert mother told her cousin, seeing where Katara and the Auror were going with their questions. And she was drawing the same horrifying conclusions. Anya had become devoted to Gellert since Odin had entered the Hiegel's home as a guest. They'd always wondered about the change in their children's relationship with each other, now they both knew in their guts that the answer was staring them in the face. Gellert had done something, something for Anya that had completely changed their relationship. The two were keeping a secret from them. A terrible secret.

Having put the pieces together too Albus's fingers tightened on Gellert's shoulders as he did his best to hide his reaction and the bad memories threatening to surface. Whatever had happened that night was because of Anya, he was sure of it.

Looking like a man who'd been dealt a horrible blow Anya's father stared at his daughter while he spoke in a voice that quivered. "You said that the girl in the picture had died...how did she die?"

Frank looked at Anya too when he answered. "According to newspaper accounts and people's memories Marlena Odin fell when she was sixteen years old and broke her neck. The official records went missing apparently; no one could tell me what happened to them. But as it happens one of Mr. Odin's less wealthy third cousins was happy to tell me the truth once he had some Fyre whiskey in his system. According to him her neck wasn't broken accidentally but that she did it on purpose. She hung herself in her bedroom using her brother's school necktie. There was a note too apparently, but he couldn't tell me what it said. But maybe you would have some idea, Gellert?"

Everyone was so silent after the Auror's statement that Anya's whispered words seemed to echo around the room like a shout.

"The monster got her."

Pale as death Katara turned her daughter around in her lap, framing her daughter's face with shaking hands as she stared into her baby's solemn eyes. "The monster got her? He hurt her?"

Anya nodded her head. "Don't cry, Mama. Don't cry. The monster can't hurt little girls no more. Gellert promised."

On a choked sob Katara clutched her daughter to her, her husband stumbling out of his chair like a drunk to rush over to his family, wrapping his arms around the both of them from behind as he looked at Frank with wet eyes that demanded answers.

Annoyed with the situation but being human enough to at least feel for his godmother, Gellert turned to look at her and began to speak in mermaid, knowing his godmother, mother, and Albus would be the only ones who would understand the words he spoke. They could still try to translate his words later of course, which was why he chose his words well.

"You have no reason to cry, Aunt Katara. He did not harm her. I made sure of that."

Staring at her godson with painfully grateful eyes Katara knew he was telling the truth. Gellert wouldn't lie about such a thing. He'd kept her baby safe for her.

All the adults once again started talking over themselves as those who didn't understand what Gellert had said asked for answers, and those who did know wanted the Auror to tell them what he knew about Dominic Odin's past misdeeds.

The only one in the room still perfectly composed Gellert looked up at Albus, waiting until the redhead met his gaze before speaking. "I think it's time to leave now."

Backing up automatically Albus watched Gellert calmly push back his seat and get to his feet.

"This interview is over." Gellert stated, master to servant, ice in every syllable as he met Frank's gaze.

"He was friendly with her parents, and you're very observant." Frank said softly, as though he hadn't even heard Gellert's demand. "She came to you or you saw something, something that alerted you to the fact that Odin posed a threat to your godsister. And regardless of your feelings for her she's your godsister, your flesh and blood. Your responsibility. You had access to an elf, one you hired to protect her in your steed, and then you went looking for answers and started planning. You would never rush this sort of thing. The night Odin went missing Mrs. Hiegel was out of town, it would have been just Mr. Hiegel and Anya in the house. The evidence of a memory charm having been used on your godfather wasn't you, was it? You're too good to leave such an obvious clue. Odin used it that night to get Mr. Hiegel out of the way and then went looking for Anya. But he found you waiting for him instead, Mr. Stalanski. You had a showdown and he is responsible for the knee injury that almost lost you a limb. You either killed or permanently incapacitated Odin as a result. Through the use of a charm or Polyjuice potion you had someone disguise themselves as you so that no one would make the connection between his disappearance and your injuries. You teachers tell me you were unusually quiet for a time, almost mute in fact. You couldn't have anyone realizing that your imposter wasn't as smart as you in the classroom. Then, when you'd healed well enough to bear what had to be unimaginable pain, you faked a potions mishap at school. You probably used a memory charm on every healer your parents took you to so that they wouldn't tell the authorities the truth about the cause of your injuries."

And now just a hint of a smile ghosted the Auror's face. "And most of what I just said is guesswork. My own gut feelings. You're a chip off Grindelwald's block, young master Stalanski. You know how to protect yourself and your own interests. The truth is in yours and your godsister's heads, but no court would issue me the warrants I'd need to force the answers from you with the evidence I have. And even if they did and I found the proof I needed you were a minor when this happened and given that, the circumstances, and your social status it's unlikely you would be charged and incarcerated. So you can go, Mr. Stalanski. I didn't intend to end today with your arrest; I wanted to know if Odin was still a problem I would need to deal with at a later date. I can see from your eyes he won't be."

Gellert eyed the man consideringly. "You live up to your reputation, Frank."

"As do you."

)

By unspoken agreement Gellert and his family, plus Albus, left the Aurors Headquarters and headed home to the Stalanski estate. Once they were all safely in the main parlour with no one around to observe and comment Katara handed her daughter over to her husband and gave Gellert a bone crushing hug that conveyed the gratitude she could never express with words. She'd often wished for her cousin's sake that Gellert were a little more normal, but now she was fiercely glad he wasn't. It was what made the boy different that had given him the strength and resourcefulness to protect her baby from harm.

As soon as her cousin turned her son loose Felicia took over, hugging her son just as hard.

Tolerating the shows of affection Gellert kept an eye on Albus, who was standing just slightly apart from the rest, obviously lost in thought. This could have potentially brought up painful memories for the redhead, ones he'd sooner Albus didn't think about.

The hug Gellert's father gave him was shorter, but just as strong before he drew back to give his son a hard, penetrating look. "Now why didn't you tell your mother and I what was going on? You know we would have believed you and done something."

"You would have turned him over to the law." Was Gellert's matter of fact reply, not a doubt in his mind. "And Odin had been bribing his way out of trouble for decades. It would have been his word over Anya's, and even with the data I had dug up he had powerful friends he could have used to get his case thrown out. Had that happened he would have come after the two of you and Tristan, as he threatened to do when I confronted him. He would have waited until I was in school to attack and Tommy can't be everywhere at once. My way was the most logical course of action."

While the boy's parents absorbed Gellert's matter of fact answer Katara posed another question weighing on their minds. "She came to you then? About what he...that he was after her?"

"He caught me hiding from Mr. Odin." Anya piped up from her father's arms, glad to finally be able to tell her parents the big secret she and Gellert had been hiding for what felt like forever. Once her Papa knew how Gellert had saved her he would like Gellert as much as she did. "I didn't like the way Mr. Odin smiled at me and the way he was always touching me. He made my stomach hurt. So I hid when you said he was coming but he found me. But Gellert found me too and he gave Mr. Odin the scary look." Here Anya scrunched up her face in a poor imitation of Gellert's 'Mess with me and I'll cut you open one vein at a time' look.

Gellert rolled his eyes at her attempt.

"And it was Odin who hurt your knee, Gellert?" Felicia demanded to know.

"That was all my fault!" Anya blurted out, tears welling up as she was finally presented with a chance to confess her horrible sin. "Gellert told me to go back to bed but I didn't. I wanted to tell Mr. Odin how he was going to be sorry for what he did. It's cuz I'm blonde!" The girl added with something close to a wail.

"What's her hair color got to do with anything?" Gellert's father wondered out loud.

Anya sniffed and hiccupped her way through her explanation. "After his leg got hurt I heard him tell Tommy that the fates really, really hate him cuz they had surrounded him with blondes. He said bad things always happened to him around blonde girls. And Tommy said my head would have ex-ploded like a dropped melon if Gellert hadn't grabbed me and taken the curse instead."

"You weren't supposed to hear that." Gellert muttered to himself, audible thanks to the stunned silence.

"Tommy said it was a good thing I couldn't understand you when you were hurt. He said you said the F word in fifty three different languages. I asked him what the F word was, but Tommy wouldn't tell me. But it's bad." Anya told her father solemnly.

"And that was only what I said when he was around." Gellert drawled out, fairly sure that number was higher.

"He was aiming for her head?" Albus asked softly, horror in his blue eyes.

Gellert nodded. "She was on her knees, she thought I wouldn't see her creep into the room and hide behind the couch. When he took the shot I moved instinctively, it was a knee jerk reaction. No pun intended." The blonde added with a hint of humour, trying to lighten the mood. He didn't like seeing his man upset. Reaching out Gellert linked his fingers through Albus's, giving them a light squeeze. "It wasn't as bad as she's making it out to be."

"It was too bad." Anya countered stubbornly. "I dropped a melon down the stairs to see what would happen. It was a real mess."

"So that's why you did it." Katara muttered under her breath, too in shock to reaction too much to the imagery creeping into her mind. Later she'd freak out and break some things in her rage and relief, but she felt numb at the moment. It was all just too much for her to take. She hadn't known Mr. Odin that well, but he'd seemed like a nice, kindly man. She'd believed him when he'd talked about being sorry he'd never had children and thus grandchildren, giving Anya candy and trying to engage her in conversation all the time. How had she not seen? How could she have not known?

Walking back over to her daughter Katara stood there and reached out, framing her daughter's face between her hands once more as she spoke in a soft but firm voice. "Anya, if anyone ever makes your stomach hurt like that again, or does something to you that you don't like you need to tell your papa and me. We'll believe you, it's our job to protect you."

"I know that, Mama."

"If you know that then why didn't you tell us about Odin, Anya?" Her father asked, feeling like he'd failed his baby beyond any hope of redemption. His daughter had needed protection and his nearly sociopathic godson had had to come to her rescue.

"But I couldn't tell you, Papa. Gellert said that if I did you'd end up in jail and we'd all be sad, just like the Dumbledore family."

Blondes, Gellert thought darkly. Always the blondes.


	36. Dumbledore's Man

Dumbledore's Man

On cue Tommy appeared in the middle of the room and hurried over to link fingers with Anya, tugging on her hand while subtly putting himself between her and his boss. "And that's our cue to go, Doll." He announced, shooting his boss a look over his shoulder that conveyed his wish that Gellert not lash out at the little girl for the words his boss had not wanted to hear. Shooting an apologetic look in Albus's direction too the elf steered the girl towards the nearest door, pausing automatically when the little girl's mother called his name. "Yes, Mrs. H?"

"Thank you for taking care of her." Katara said simply, her gratitude obvious.

Tommy gave her a quick, two fingered salute. "Just doing my job, ma'am. But you're welcome."

And with that the elf simply transported himself and Anya from the room before they could get drawn into a thank you party that would keep Anya in the room, where she could possibly say more things to accidentally make the situation worse.

His boss was seriously jinxed when it came to other blondes.

"Where did he take Anya?" The girl's father demanded to know. "And what did she mean about the Dumbledore family?"

"I'm sure she's fine with him." Albus said softly, his arms wrapped around himself as he answered the other man's question in an almost lifeless tone of voice, so lacking was it in emotion. "As for the Dumbledore family, she's referring to some ancestors of mine. In that case a young girl was assaulted by some Muggles and her father killed them in retaliation. To protect his daughter, who was left mentally unstable after the incident, he refused to explain his actions. The family never recovered from the incident and the father's subsequent incarceration. They all paid a heavy price for what happened in various ways."

"So that's what really happened, I always wondered." Felicia said softly, having studied her family's history in depth. And one couldn't study Gellert Grindelwald without studying Albus Dumbledore. It suddenly hitting her that her son's boyfriend was a descendant of that other famous wizard had her looking at the two with multiple questions spinning through her mind.

"Now that that's established I'm going to have to ask you and your husband to leave, Katara." Gellert's father stated, surprising everyone into turning their attention from Albus to him. He was using his rare, commanding tone of voice. "There are some things we have to discuss with Gellert that must remain in the immediate family."

Knowing instinctively what they had to ask the younger man Katara nodded, turning her head to meet Gellert's gaze. "We'll talk again later. If Tommy hasn't taken Anya home, please ask him to bring her there as soon as possible." Walking over she pulled the blonde into another tight hug, then let him loose with an affection kiss on his cheek.

Not intending to give her husband time to object Katara looped an arm through his and started to walk him towards the door.

"Thank you, Gellert." Anya's father said softly over his shoulder, allowing his wife to lead him out of the room.

No one in the room was really surprised when Gellert didn't respond. He was obviously annoyed by the situation, and the man wasn't known for letting people off the hook just to make them feel better. Gellert just wasn't that nice.

As soon as the door closed Gellert's father glanced at Albus, but he seemed to know that the redhead would keep all of Gellert's secrets safe. And so Stephan didn't hesitate for long walking over to his son, putting his hands on the younger man's shoulders, and asking the question pretty much everyone had been wondering.

"Did you kill Dominic Odin, Gellert?"

"No." And knowing the questions that were coming Gellert elaborated just to save time. "I messed around with his brain once I was up to it and I forced him confess his actions to the Muggle version of Aurors. In the past Muggle children were his prey of choice, allowing him to keep his reputation in the Wizarding World pristine. If Anya hadn't borne such a strong resemblance to the man's sister, I'd imagine he would never have dreamed of going after her. He was tried and convicted and is currently serving his time in a Muggle prison. Odin no longer remembers he ever was a wizard, and he has no access to a wand anyway. I've greased palms to ensure that I'm informed should he ever be released." And he had contingency plans should that occur.

Felicia moved forward to frame her son's face between her hands. "And if that day comes, Gellert, you're going to tell us so that we can pay that son of a bitch back for hurting you. As it is the only thing that's keeping me from going after the man now is the fact that Muggle prisons are supposed to be hell holes and the men inside them are no doubt making that assehole's life a living hell as we speak. But if he gets out, Gellert, you're leaving him to your father and I. We won't let him hurt you or Tristan. Payback's a bitch and I've got no problems being one."

Reaching up Gellert instinctively placed his hands over his mother's, his very being rebelling against the idea of his mother's soul being marred by those kind of actions. "I would not have your hands stained with blood."

"We love you more than our lives, Gellert, more than our own souls." Was his mother firm response, everything about her indicating she was dead serious. "There's nothing we wouldn't do or sacrifice to keep you safe. Just like you'd do the same for us, because we're a family. And we'll always stand as a family against whatever dumbass thinks to take us on, okay?"

"As you like, Mother."

"Good boy…sort of." And with a watery laugh Felicia drew her son into a hug, her husband hugging them both.

And standing off to the side, watching it all play out, Albus remained silent and in thought.

)

After having tea with Gellert's parents, which had involved the blonde receiving multiple lectures from both of them about his previous actions, Gellert and Albus headed back to school together. The redhead had spoken very little, and Gellert was wise enough to know what was on the other man's mind. What he didn't know was whether or not he should attempt to justify using the man's family as an example or if that would only make it worse. At the time it had seemed like a perfect case study of why secrecy was important, but as always his good intentions had come back to bite him on the ass.

When they had reached their common room Albus turned and met Gellert's gaze. "I'm not mad at you. I'm actually proud of you. But I just want to be left alone for the rest of the day." Leaning forward Albus set his forehead against the blonde, allowing himself the brief moment of contact before he pulled away.

Reaching out Gellert took the other man's hand in his. "But you'll come to me tonight?"

"I promise."

And with that Albus slid his hand out of the other man's grasp and headed off to find Al and Domi as planned. He wasn't really surprised to find them both in Christopher's room playing cards, obviously waiting for him and Gellert to get back. After they were all settled in the werewolf's room Albus summarized for them all what he'd learned and then turned his attention to Christopher, hoping for a few more answers as he told the other man how he thought the werewolf had fit into the situation.

"Odin was higher up the social food chain than Gellert's family, but nowhere near as powerful as yours. He came to you especially because of your ties to the Muggle World. He suspected that that was where the real answers could be found and knew that you could find them through your family connections and afford to hire Muggle investigators if needed. You helped Tommy take care of him after he was hurt, and likely started hanging out with his stand in, again I'm guessing Tommy, so that you could keep him inline and insure he didn't do anything too out of character for Gellert. Am I right?"

He'd done a few other things, but Christopher saw no reason to bring those things up so he just nodded. He was uneasy with how much the Auror had apparently gathered, but he had faith that if Gellert didn't think the man was going to be a problem then he wasn't. Nobody looked after his own self interests the way Gellert did.

"You helped save her and the other girls he would have hurt." Pride in her voice Domi nuzzled her cheek against his shoulder as she wrapped her arms around the man's waist as far as they would go. "Your maman would be so proud of you, just like me."

"We could see about making sure he stays there." Al suggested to Albus while the other two occupants of the room got busy snogging. "Given his age and what he's in for it's unlikely he'd ever be paroled, but stupider things have happened. And if he is let out…well from what you've told me about Gellert's mum I can definitely see her going at him despite the age he'd be at that point. I know my mum would insure they never found the body. Our fathers could reach out to the Muggle department, make some arrangements."

Albus nodded. "I was thinking the same."

Reaching out Al laid a hand over top of the redhead's. "You okay?"

A faint smile ghosted Albus's face. "I could never fool you." And then he nodded. "I'll be all right. I'm proud of him, and I'm not even mad at him for using my family as an example for Anya. I'm just…being stupid by thinking of the 'what ifs' again. I know better, and intend to stop before dinner."

"Good, because 'what ifs' are usually as dangerous as looking into the Mirror of Erised, Albus. You only imagine what you want to see. Not the truth."

"How very profound of you." Albus mused, remembering a conversation he'd had with his best friend's father a long time ago. So he would take Al's and his own advice, and let it go, he thought as he winked at the other man to let him know that he would take the advice to heart.

He had a life to live with Gellert, and he would never again waste it on what ifs.

)

It was about an hour before dinner when Domi, Al and Albus happened to be hailed down by a fellow student who hurried over to inform Al that his father was on the premises. He'd spotted the man being ushered by the headmaster into one of the rooms generally used for teacher meetings. The three thanked the student and considered hunting up Christopher and Gellert so that they could introduce the two to Al's father, but in the end decided that it was best to find out what the older man was doing there before they did anything else.

Heading in the direction of the meeting room the three came to a grinding halt, crashing into each other in the process, as they spotted Gellert walking towards the door they were headed to with his grandfather at his side.

In silent agreement the three snuck up on the other two, stopping within hearing distance as they watched the two come to a halt in front of the door.

"Are you sure you don't want me to come in with you, Gellert?"

Gellert shook his head. "No. I'm not in trouble with him. I can handle it and him. You said that he didn't ask to see anyone else?"

"No. He said he would speak with his son and niece at a later time. He just asked to see you. Could it be about what happened today? About that Auror's investigation into that businessman's disappearance?"

"Possibly. There's only one way to find out though. I'll be fine, go back to whatever you were doing. I'll see you at dinner."

After a pause the headmaster nodded, accepting that his grandson didn't want or probably need his help. And this was The Chosen One they were talking about. Gellert was friends with the man's son and niece. So the headmaster headed off to go finish some of his paperwork for the evening, hoping that he hadn't just made a mistake that would bring his daughter's wrath down upon him later.

Gellert waited until his grandfather was out of sight and then reached out to place his hand on the knob, taking a deep, calming breath before opening it, letting himself in. Closing the door behind him the blonde had no idea that as soon it was shut the three Gryffindors raced over to the door, stacked themselves beside it like a makeshift totem pole, and quickly used a spell that would allow them to hear clearly through the door.

)

Walking across the room Gellert studied the man who'd been leaning up against the fireplace's mantle, The Chosen One straightening and turning to face him as he approached. The man had aged faster than most, his hair more grey than black, Gellert noted, and there were lines craved into the famous man's face that suggested a life filled with responsibilities and trials. The emerald green eyes the man had passed on to his second son were mature and wise, having seen far too much to be easily fooled or surprised by human nature.

He'd hated the man before him in his past life. Truly hated him, which Gellert couldn't honestly say about many of the people he'd known back then since one couldn't hate someone without an emotional reason to. And he had never been emotional when it came to his goals or personal interactions with others, even during times of war. Only when it came to Albus had real emotion struck with its poisonous venom. And so he had hated Harry Potter for the sole reason that the man had been Albus's. Not in a sexual way of course, but Albus had loved the man watching him enough to die and sacrifice others for him. He'd seen pictures, heard the stories, and knew that The Chosen One was one of the few people everyone agreed had been truly loved by the equally famous Albus Dumbledore.

And now here they were, Gellert thought as he came to a stop in front of the other man. And wasn't that interesting?

Harry's eyes were shrewd and shielded as he held out a hand to the blonde, shaking the other man's hand in a firm grip when Gellert accepted the gesture.

"I always wondered when we would meet. My gut always said it was just a matter of time." Harry began, keeping a firm grip on the boy's hand, preventing the blonde from ending the hold. "To say it's a pleasure to meet you doesn't seem right though. So I'll just say I've been both looking forward to and dreading meeting you for a very long time, Gellert…Grindelwald."

Gellert blinked once, his only show of surprise as he looked into the man's eyes and knew without a doubt that the man knew exactly who he was.

"I was under the impression that your son was the only one who knew the truth."

The Auror nodded his head in acknowledgement of that. "That's what Albus and Al believe, what we've allowed them to believe. Those of us who recognized who Albus was decided that we wouldn't say anything unless he chose to trust us with that knowledge. Albus wants to live a new life without being judged by his prior one. We've all done our best to respect his wishes in that regard."

"But you knew who he was all this time?"

"They didn't call me Dumbledore's man without reason, Gellert."

Wary and intrigued Gellert studied the other man. "Which is why you've asked to see me? To protect him from me? To warn me off?"

"As you well know, since I'm willing to bet that you or your elf was responsible for a break in at my vault, that I had an extensive collection of personal effects belonging to you and my former Headmaster. I made it my mission to collect as much as I could to keep them out of the public's hands until mine, as well as several other collections, vanished. But before that incident I studied you quite a bit, especially your relationship with Dumbledore. It was a sort of obsession with me, to understand you and how the man I thought I knew could ever love someone like you to the degree that he did."

"Not so much, considering he had me incarcerated and ignored my existence before and after that." Gellert drawled out, watching the other man for some telling reaction.

But the penetrating green eyes stayed shielded. "You know better. You may tell yourself differently, but you do know better. I bet you know him better than anyone else. So you know, and it still probably scares the hell out of you even after all these years."

Gellert's eyes narrowed dangerously. "You would be wise to watch what you say and suggest, Potter."

"I didn't come here to fight with you, or to warn you off Albus. He's an adult, and I trust him to know what's best for him. Just like I trust that if he makes a mistake he knows that he has family and friends this time who will not only stand by him but in front of him if necessary. No, the real reason I came today…was to show you something and ask your opinion about it."

"Show me what?"

"The most important piece of my former collection you could say." Harry answered softly as he pointed to the nearby table, where a metal box sat so inconspicuously that Gellert hadn't even noticed it. "You missed one, Gellert. The most important one."


	37. Truths Spoken

Note: Harry's view of what happened is my own. My twist is a result of me hurting for all involved and wanting to change it a little.

Truths Spoken

So they'd known all along, Albus thought as he concentrated on breathing in and out. A part of him was tempted to look down and see what Domi's reaction to all this was, but Al's head would be in the way regardless. And right now all he could think about was the fact that all this time Harry and the others had known who he was and had let him believe otherwise. They'd done it for him, there wasn't a doubt in his mind. Those who had mattered the most to him in his previous life had understood why he'd wanted to separate himself from his past and had played along for his sake.

He'd often sensed that some of them suspected, but he'd always pushed those thoughts aside, unwilling to deal with that possibility.

Love for those people welling up inside of him Albus felt tears well up in his eyes.

And then Harry's words reached his ears, informing him of the mysterious something his favorite Gryffindor had brought along with him. What else had Harry been keeping with him? What had the man retrieved from the past that was so important?

He knew it wasn't the Elder Wand, Harry had promised to put that back in his tomb so that no one else could get their hands on it. At least not without showing a willingness to desecrate a man's final resting place. It couldn't be the ring either, Harry had left it in the Forbidden Forest. So what else could it be?

)

Gellert couldn't help it, his eyes focused in on the box, giving it his full attention. What could be inside it? What had he missed when he'd broken into the man's vault? Did the unknown object even belong to him, or was it Albus's? And how valuable was it, if the man had taken extra pains to hide it, separate it from the rest. The only thing he could think of from his side was the Elder Wand, but surely the man wasn't so stupid as to wave that in front of him. Rumor had it that the wand was encased in Dumbledore's tomb and he'd always assumed that to be its most logical resting place. Not that he'd ever looked. He'd never gone near the man's tomb and had no plans to ever change that. But what if it was the wand?

"Any guesses?" Harry asked, curious as to what the man thought was within the box. There was no way the man would guess correctly, but he had always wondered if perhaps Gellert had been searching for something, having liberated so many collections of their artifacts concerning Dumbledore and the blonde's former self.

His eyes lifting to meet Harry's Gellert decided to give the man the benefit of the doubt. It probably wasn't the Elder Wand. "It's something that belonged to Albus." He guessed, since he was in possession of everything else he might desire to acquire from his old life. He'd hidden away and then retrieved his most important treasures years ago.

"Close. Not Albus though."

Eyes narrowing Gellert felt an unwelcome chill roll down his spine as he watched the other man unlock the box, retrieving from it a thick, leather bound journal in a faded indigo blue. Ariana's favorite color.

"It was about four years ago that Finnigan O'Connell sent me a letter asking me to pay him a visit. In the letter he explained that he was dying, and that it was very important that he see me in person before he passed away. Obviously I went, and that's when he revealed to me a secret he'd been keeping for over twenty years." Harry's eyes looked down at the book, a slightly far off look coming into his green eyes as he remembered that day. "He was a safety inspector before he retired, and was hired shortly before the Dumbledore's house was opened as a museum to look the place over. When he was in the basement, checking out the condition of the wooden flooring, he discovered that one of the boards was loose. Deliberately. A curious fellow, he lifted up the board and discovered the box, the journal within."

Staring at the book like it was a snake ready to strike it took considerable control on Gellert's part not to draw his wand and light the damn thing on fire. Unfortunately he might light the man holding the book on fire in the process which Albus would strongly frown upon.

"Why are you telling me about this?" Gellert asked slowly, forcing his gaze up to met Harry's. "Whatever is written in that journal are the ramblings of an unstable girl who was rarely capable of lucid thought and reasoning. Why would that interest me?"

Ignoring the man's question for the moment Harry continued with his story. "The journal documents about two years of Ariana's life, she wasn't one to update with any regularity. And yes, a great deal of it is…illegible and…dark is the nicest way to put it. That, and the last entry in it, is why O'Connell never turned it over to the people in charge of the museum. He'd had Dumbledore as a teacher you see. Even knowing that he could make quite a profit off of selling it he kept quiet because he believed the contents of the diary would reflect badly upon the man who'd been kind to him as a boy. But he couldn't bring himself to destroy it either, this last remaining testament of Ariana's thoughts and life. So he locked it away and kept it from everyone until he learned he was dying. He wanted me to have it because he thought that I would know what Dumbledore would have wanted done with it."

"I still have yet to see how this has anything to do with me." Was Gellert's cool response, the blonde stubbornly refusing to show any reaction to this new twist. There was nothing Ariana could have written that mattered at this point. She hadn't disliked him the way Aberforth had, it was doubtful the journal was full of disparaging remarks against him. And Potter had said something about the contents reflecting badly on Albus, but what did that have to do with him?

"The last entry was made just before she died. The contents are…illuminating. I've spent the years since I read this journal debating whether I should show Albus the last entry." Harry held the book out towards Gellert like a hunter throwing out bait. "I was hoping you'd read it and give me your opinion as someone who knows him in ways I never did."

This was a trap of some sort, Gellert could feel it in his bones. And you didn't live over a hundred years without knowing when you were being played. But he couldn't see where the man was going with this. Just what the hell had Ariana written before she died? How else was she going to screw things up for him?

Harry waited patiently. He was in no rush. There was a good chance he was about to hear the answers to questions he'd never wanted to have answered. Or at least not most of the time. As an Auror he had a well defined sense of curiosity, and he'd spent plenty a night trying to figure things out for himself.

He was smart enough to know he had engrained biases, but Harry thought he knew what had happened the night Ariana had died. To his way of thinking it made no sense for Gellert to have been the one to deliver the killing blow. The boy had already proven to be very skilled at covering his tracks by that point, and if Grindelwald had been the one who'd killed the girl the blonde would have covered his tracks by altering the Dumbledores' memories and done away with the body. The blonde had also been smart enough to know that Dumbledore would never forgive him for killing either of the man's siblings, and Gellert had wanted the eldest Dumbledore on his side. Blaming the man because of who he'd go on to be had always struck Harry as wistful thinking.

It had made no sense for Dumbledore to be the one either, because even if the man had lost control and forgotten himself, the man had loved every person in that room that night. His former headmaster's intent wouldn't have been to harm any of them. That would have been the last thing on Dumbledore's mind in that time and place. The man's only thought would have been to end things with no one getting hurt.

And to have ended Ariana's life inadvertently, without deliberately using a kill spell…there had to be a lot of negative emotion involved to have mutated someone's spell into becoming deadly.

Which left Aberforth. The man who had hated his brother's lover and had at that point nothing but hurt and angry feelings towards Albus. Aberforth, young, immature, volatile, upset and hurting, lacking in the self control the other two men had had in spades even then despite their ages.

Maybe he didn't want it to be Dumbledore because the man had been family to him, Harry thought as he watched Gellert closely. And maybe he didn't want it to be the man in front of him because he wanted Albus to get his happily ever after this time around. Wanted the man to have a second chance with the man Harry desperately hoped loved the man as much as Albus had apparently always loved his German bad boy.

At the end of every musing he kept coming back to Aberforth…but he might be wrong. He might be about to learn he'd been wrong.

Because while he knew that the Dumbledore men had never known the answer…he didn't know what the man before him knew.

And in the end, none were truly to blame. It had been an accident, he'd always believed so.

)

Gellert didn't want to take the book, didn't want to read the last written thoughts of Ariana Dumbledore…but he hated the idea of appearing weak or afraid in front of the other man more. And this man who dared to call himself Albus's man might show the journal to Albus, which might hurt the man because Potter was right. No one knew Albus better than him. So he finally reached out and took the leather bound journal from the other man and started flipping through to find the last entry. Many of the pages were covered in illegible scrawl, or words that took up half the page, written so hard the quill had ripped through the page. Then he reached the last, and there could be no more stalling as he read aloud the last words his man's sister had written before her death.

Dear Diary,

This will be my last entry. I can't bear it any longer. I'm killing my brothers slowly, destroying their lives the way I destroyed Mother's. Albus and Gellert are arguing about me, they can't do their great works to punish and control the Muggles with me around to slow them down. Aberforth says he won't go back to school, but wants to stay with me instead. He and Albus say such terrible things to each other when they talk about the future. I'm the stones around all their necks, pulling them under the water, drowning them.

When they argue I can feel my magic start to go crazy, the way it did when I killed Mother. I'll kill them all if they don't stay away from me. But they won't. They love me. So I have to help them and free them from me.

I've stolen some Strictriccin powder from Albus's room. Albus told me it's very poisonous when in liquid form. He made me swear on Mother's soul not to touch it…but Mother would understand because it's for Albus and Aberforth.

So I'm going to

And that was it. She must have been writing it when she heard them arguing upstairs and had come up to try and referee, Gellert thought as he closed the journal. So she'd been planning to kill herself with liquid Strictriccin, the blonde mused, shaking his head, even as a strange sort of pain blossomed inside him as he processed the information. Of all the things she could have used-

All the color draining out of the blonde's face Gellert stumbled backward, his legs giving away as he fell to his knees on the floor, his lungs struggling to get in air as the enormity of his realization hit him with the force of a tornado.

Hurry over Harry knelt in front of the boy, placing his hands on the blonde's shoulders as he instinctively tried to offer some comfort. Up until now the boy's face had been a mask perfectly suited to a man who'd killed, changed history, and known suffering few did or could survive with a conscience. But the face Gellert wore now was a boy's. A child's. One in an overwhelming amount of pain. "Gellert? Gellert? What's wrong? What did you realize?"

"He wasn't lying." Gellert whispered, not even really seeing Harry as he spoke the agonizing revelation. "He wasn't lying to me. All this time…but he wasn't. Strictriccin…purplish lips, glazed eyes…body binding curse."

"Gellert, I don't understand."

"I thought I knew. I thought I knew…each of the final blows. Aberforth missed me…terrible aim. Albus…Albus's spell hit my wand arm, to disarm. Just disarm me." Gellert said slowly, needing to get the words out now. "My spell…body binding curse…at Ariana. Take her out of the equation. Just take her out because arguments set her off and with her out of the way I could deal with Aberforth. Someone had to, annoying little bastard. Lashing out at Albus all the time because he could never hope to be a fraction of the man Albus was even then. Albus too soft on him…teach the git a lesson. Show him his place. The two lowered their wands, go to Ariana…I opened my mouth to tell them she was fine but Albus…the sound he made…the terrible sound. I went over and I could see in her eyes. See that she was dead. Not me, and the physical markings of the curse…didn't recognize. Aberforth useless, could barely read, teachers passed him for Albus's sake…so how could it have been him? And the guilt…the terrible guilt in Albus's eyes." And now tears welled up in Gellert's brown eyes, the blonde not even aware of them as they silently began to fall down the boy's cheeks. "So it had to be Albus. Albus had to have done it. Had sent a killing curse in my direction and she got in the way. He'd tried to kill me. I couldn't kill him, could never kill him. Couldn't kill Aberforth or Ariana because he would never forgive me and he was everything to me and…I…so he was lying when he said he loved me. It was all a lie. But…but Strictriccin poisoning…purple lips…glazed eyes…my curse."

"Oh God." Harry breathed as he realized what Gellert had just realized. "She'd already taken the poison. That was what killed her. Your curse would have prevented her body from spasming, and that, plus the eyes and lips…are the three visible indicators of Strictriccin poisoning."

Covering his face with his hands Gellert's whole body shook as he hunched his shoulders in incredible grief as he realized the truth of what had really happened that night.

)

Head coming up instinctively Harry's horror filled eyes widening as he watched Albus walk into the room with Al and Domi flanking him, his niece clutching one of Albus's arms with one hand, the other over her mouth as she silently wept. Al had a bracing arm on Albus's other arm, and Harry could see tears shimmering in the eyes he'd passed on to his younger son. He didn't hear when Albus said to the two, but they let him go and Albus approached him alone while Al and Domi watched.

Instinctively picking up the journal Gellert had dropped Harry got to his feet and stared into Albus's blue eyes, tears streaming down the redhead's cheeks without shame or real notice. Moving to meet the man halfway Harry didn't know what to say.

"Harry, I would ask you to do me a favor."

"Anything."

"Burn that book." A small, sad smile curved Albus's lips. "A big brother should never know the contents of his little sister's diary. And she deserves better than to be remembered…by the contents of it." He'd heard enough already. He would mourn the knowledge later. In the end they'd all been equally to blame…and none to blame.

He could live with that.

Albus's smile was more genuine when Harry nodded his agreement to destroy the journal. "Thank you. You remain a better man then I can ever hope to be. Domi and Al could use some hugs now. And I need to speak to Gellert."

Understanding perfectly Harry nodded and then walked around the man who'd so impacted every aspect of his life. Collecting Al and Domi Harry ushered them out of the room, closing the door behind him so that Albus and Gellert had the room to themselves.

)

Walking over Albus knelt down in front of Gellert and wrapped his arms around the man's heaving shoulders, closing his eyes as he laid his cheek against the man's curls. He didn't speak for several long moments, and then spoke very softly.

"I loved you then. I loved you even when I wanted to hate you. And after I died I couldn't call the existence I entered heaven because you weren't there. I cannot be truly happy without you. I have loved you for over a century and my soul is so entwined with yours that separating them would be impossible task, which is how we ended up here together again. We both made mistakes….but loving each other was the one thing we got right. I want to live the rest of this life and the eternity after it with you. I love you. I love you to a degree that can never be put into words."

Slowly Gellert raised his head, his pale cheeks stained with tears, his eyes vulnerable and unguarded for once. "I…I want that too."

Framing the other man's face with his hands Albus leaned forward and pressed his lips against the man for a slow loving kiss.

And when the kiss ended Gellert found the strength to say the words he'd sworn he'd never admit to feeling again. Had pretended not to feel for so long that he'd almost made himself believe it. But he'd always known the truth in the back of his mind and it was okay now. It was okay because it was Albus and the man loved him. Had always loved him. Just as he'd promised a lifetime ago.

"I love you too."

"And we'll make this work."

"We'll make it work." Gellert agreed as he pressed his lips up against Albus's again.

And they would this time around.

The End


End file.
